Does a Baby Need to Crawl?

by Lyn Lomasi, Staff Writer

What Happens when a Baby Never Crawls? Is This Dangerous?

More and more babies seem to be skipping the crawling milestone. Should this be cause for concern? While crawling is an important milestone, not every baby who doesn't crawl will be in danger further down the road, but it's possible that some very well could be.

Crawling is usually viewed as a major milestone. However some babies are failing to crawl at all. Instead of crawling, they may just scoot to their favorite object or even pull up on furniture and use it to inch their way toward what they want. What many parents want to know is if their child skips crawling, could it be cause for concern?

In retrospect, it seems to make sense that a child who doesn't crawl may lack intelligence or muscle development. However, there isn't any research that proves this theory and not enough evidence to show effects later in life.

Many babies who don't crawl will still walk by the age of one, or even sooner, which is still in line with babies who do crawl. This fact alone could act as a small point of proof that development isn't affected, although there could be other effects not so noticeable.

Many experts agree that failing to crawl, alone, is not enough evidence to show that a baby is behind in development, either physically or mentally.

A concerned parent should look for more than one missed milestone. Missing just one milestone is not enough to prove that a problem exists, especially if a child hits a milestone that uses the same muscle or brain coordination and that milestone is above the missed one, such as replacing crawling with walking.

However, missing more than one major milestone could be a valid reason for concern. This could signify either physical or mental problems and should be looked into as soon as possible, before any potential problem further escalates itself.

If you are concerned about your baby, the best thing you can do is consult your child's pediatrician for the most accurate advice and diagnosis. A pediatrician can appropriately assess your child for proper physical development.

This assessment is normally done at each routine physical, but if you are concerned at a time when a physical is not near, do not hesitate to contact your child's pediatrician. The sooner a potential problem is found, the sooner you, your child, and the pediatrician can work together at the appropriate solution.