Find here some tips to stimulate your baby and help him crawl

Leer en español: ¿Sabes qué hacer si tu bebé todavía no gatea?

Crawling, a normal stage in the development of your baby, will help him prepare for later stages and grow in optimal conditions. There are many myths about skipping this stage and, although there is not enough scientific evidence to prove that a baby that does not crawl will have problems in the future, this first stage serves to:

• It develops a better vision
•  It helps writing in the future, according to Discovery Salud, since it develops eye-hand brain coordination
•  It improves coordination of both hemispheres
•  The baby will have constant use of the sense of touch and contact with different textures
•  When crawling the child perceives the opposition of gravity and learns to deal with it by supporting his weight on the palms of his hands and withstand the tension of the shoulders, spine, and hip.
•  It tones the muscles that will allow him to stand upright
•  The baby understands the world in three dimensions
• Babies acquire autonomy because he begins to make his first decisions when separating from his parents, approaching them, and exploring areas he did not know

It is important to know that babies tend to crawl in different ways. According to the Children's Guide, at first some of them crawl seated, pushing themselves with buttocks and hands to move forward with the rest of the body and later they replace it with the more traditional one that is crawling on all fours or "on their hind legs", as we usually say.

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What can you do if your baby does not crawl?

• Baby Center recommends putting him on his tummy several times a day to develop the muscles he needs to crawl
• Leave your baby on the ground and encourage him to reach nearby objects and toys.
   Since his vision is not yet fully developed, use toys and sounds that attract baby's attention
•  Put small obstacles in his path like cushions or pillows that he must overcome to help him develop his agility and safety, tools that he will need later to walk
•  It is very stimulating for babies to see their parents in the same position as him. Position yourself by his side and crawl on your hands and knees so that he feels accompanied and try to copy your movements

Finally, the pediatrician should be consulted if at six months the baby is not able to hold his head alone for a short period of time, if he is unable to turn around, or try to move forward on his forearms.

LatinAmerican Post | Luisa Báez
Translated from “¿Sabes qué hacer si tu bebé todavía no gatea?”