No crawling = delayed speech?

[Teeki]

Is this right? I was at a baby shower today, and was sitting near an older woman. She was saying that walkers are really bad for babies development and that they *need* to crawl. That they need to get the leg and arm action right, and babies that don't crawl have speech problems!

Anecdotally this isn't true for me as I know a beautiful little girl who only bum shuffled before walking and has never had an issue with talking!

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[myturn]

I wouldn't say that a baby that doesn't crawl is definitely going to have speech problems. Having said that, it is possible that delayed motor development can be associated with delayed language and other cognitive skills. BUT a child can have delayed physical skills and NO delays in language and vice versa....

so to answer your question - no.... they don't NEED to get arm and leg movements to develop speech.... they DO need to experience as much variety in their physcial skills as they can, just like they need to have lots of experiences in general, and lots of different experiences of language.

Sounds like it's a old wives tale to me..... and if it makes you feel any better I'm a child psychologist..... (and I think I know what I'm talking about!! )

[Ryatha]

I've heard, as a teacher, that it may cause problems with reading, and other school work. I don't know how true it is but for kids that are having difficulties with this they get doing a "crawl" therapy and after this their reading and school work improves. I believe it has something to do with getting the two halves of the brain working together.


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[myturn]

I've heard, as a teacher, that it may cause problems with reading, and other school work. I don't know how true it is but for kids that are having difficulties with this they get doing a "crawl" therapy and after this their reading and school work improves. I believe it has something to do with getting the two halves of the brain working together.

as a psych, we always ask questions about any skills that have been delayed in the past - because they can be associated with difficulties in the future - but one does not CAUSE the other... so no... delayed crawling does not mean the child will definitely have delayed language.... or delayed literacy and cognitive skills....

having said that.... I probably wouldn't use a walker myself - I think it's better to get kids to learn the physical skills they need without 'devices'. If they child can't walk... they aren't ready for a walker.... but that's just IMO....

[Beach Mama]

There is a connection with the crawling action, with crossing over the left and right parts of the brain and children's development in regards to reading later on. It doesn't mean that a child who skips crawling altogether will definitely have issues but should be given lots of opportunities to play and crawl later on and to make those left and right connections. This can occur through simple games that kids play (like mine who pretend they are dogs ) and many schools do something called brain gym as it has been shown to really help kids with concentration and focus.

[NaeNae]

. That they need to get the leg and arm action right, and babies that don't crawl have speech problems!

I was actuallt told thisby mymother in regards to swaddling beyond 6 months

[myturn]

it is possible they are associated... and it is important for kids to experience all these physical skills - BUT one does not equal the other.... it just doesn't work that way with anything.... that's the problem - things get taken all out of proportion when the media reports research... and that's how an old wives tale develops

just give your child lots of chances to practice their physical and language skills through 'play' and imitation and they'll be fine!!

too many people, putting too much pressure on parents - and freaking them out!!

[skybie]

honestly, when are babies only in walkers? those of us that use them for short periods of time through the day ( i used to use ours when i was getting tea ready) still put babies on the floor!!
FWIW DD2 was a lazy sod in the movement department, but has been talking since about 12 months, speaks very clearly now with sentences of 5+ words. DD1 who was great in the movement department, did everything on time, was walking independantly at 12 months, was slow to talk, and even now doesnt speak her words clearly

[Teeki]

Y'know that actually makes sense to.me with the left/right movement and how the brain works. I'm not worried for DD, she's trying her little heart out to crawl and will be there very soon I reckon lol. It's just this woman was adamant that non walkers had speech issues. I also think it makes sense what you guys are saying about giving bubs a range of movement and experiences to develop. This is probably one of those things where every child is different.

You're right about the walker thing Skybie, we were given a second hand one two months ago, and have only used it a couple of times in the kitchen when DH couldn't watch her.

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[Kirley64]

I heard something similar to this too more in regards to co-ordination and motor skills specifically though, if they don't get crawling properly down pat. It's not how long they crawl for that's the issue it's whether they do it properly to use both sides of their brain in sync.

As for the thing with walkers. I think it has to do more with weight bearing and their muscle development & their hip placements. the seat in the walkers tend to hold all the babies weight in their hips and they usually have to 'tip toe' to walk anywhere or touch the floor when parents start putting them in.

[TaRhLi.]

I was told this as well with DD, she did a roll up to sitting then roll thing until she was 12 months old. She then started to crawl at 12 mths and was walking at 14 mths. As for her speech she has never had any issues and at the ripe old age of 2yrs 3mths she can hold a conversation with you, will repeat word for word scenes from Dorothy the Dinosaur and the Wiggles, knows her colours, body parts etc. So I don't think the delayed crawling affected her in any way, so long as they learn it at some stage for a little bit.

As for the twins, Liam started crawling just before they were 7 mths old and Rhys has started the past couple of weeks (8 1/2 mths) and both of them have been very 'talkative' babies from early on. Only time will tell with them I suppose.

[Shanti]

That's not true!!! All babies develop at their own pace.

As for walkers, I am not a fan and have never needed one for my babies. I think they restrict babies. Best position for babies is on the floor on their tummy or back

[Starfish]

I think Myturn is spot on.

Crawling cannot have a direct impact on reading and speech development, because some babies do not crawl at all, e.g. those that are in a brace or have hip problems, but these kids don't necessarily have speech or reading issues. Likewise, some children have great motor development and are early crawlers and walkers but may have speech delays. One does not cause the other.

[Cass72]

How odd. I do love opinionated people. It was an "older woman" who told me that I didn't have enough milk to feed DS1 (he was cluster feeding at the time) sadly I took her advice and put him on the bottle.

I digress....

FWIW the lead carer at DS2s childcare centre commented that it "seemed" to be that babies/toddlers either went down the "talking" or "doing" route. DS2 is a doer and is only now really picking up his vocab. A bub in his group who is the same age only ever bum-shuffled and was most definately a talker (you couldn't keep her quiet) - now she's becoming more of a doer . Now they are both more or less equal at doing and talking - they just "learnt" different things first.

[Artechim]

DS only crawled for two weeks and only to get to the couch to pull himself up, then he was walking at 8.5 months. He was talking in 3-4 word sentences at 17 months. At 4 he never shuts up. He has no issues with reading, although he does write from right to left.

DD didn't crawl at all. At nearly 2.5 her speaking is pretty normal, 5-6 word sentences.