Why is crawling necessary

Here are some of the reasons that crawling is an important stage of child development: Development of joint stability and muscle strength. Crawling is important in developing stability and strength in the trunk, arms, and legs which are all important for future gross motor skills. Crawling even strengthens structures related to breathing, talking and eating! Fine motor benefits. There are also fine motor benefits to crawling including lengthening finger muscles, development of the arches in the hand, and development of the thumb and web space.

All of these help with future grasping and manipulation of smaller items, pencils, spoons, etc. Physical and neurological coordination. Get smart. Sign up for our email newsletter. Sign Up. Support science journalism. Knowledge awaits. See Subscription Options Already a subscriber? Create Account See Subscription Options.

Continue reading with a Scientific American subscription. They are lovely baby sitters for short periods like when you need a shower but it is so tempting to leave babies in them for long periods. Effects of sleep position on infant motor development. Child Development. Goodstart Home.

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