Why Crawling Before Walking Matters
As an osteopath, I often meet concerned parents whose little ones seem eager to skip crawling and head straight into walking. While it’s exciting to watch your baby take their first steps, it's important to understand why crawling is a crucial developmental milestone — not just a stepping stone to walking.
A foundation for lifelong physical and neurological health
Crawling may seem simple, but it's a highly coordinated activity. When a baby crawls, they develop:
1. Cross-Pattern Movement
Crawling involves opposite limbs moving together — right arm with left leg, and vice versa. This cross-lateral movement is essential for developing the brain's ability to coordinate both sides of the body, which later supports reading, writing, and even sports.
2. Core Strength and Joint Stability
The act of holding their trunk up while moving across the floor strengthens a baby’s core muscles, shoulders, wrists, and hips. This stability lays the groundwork for confident, balanced walking.
3. Spatial Awareness and Coordination
Crawling helps babies judge distances, understand space, and navigate their environment — all vital skills for safe, coordinated movement as they grow.
4. Visual Development
Looking ahead and shifting gaze between hands and the environment helps develop visual tracking skills. These skills later support reading and focus in school settings.
What If My Baby Skips Crawling?
Some babies do skip crawling and go straight to walking. This doesn’t automatically mean they’ll face developmental issues, but it’s worth monitoring. In osteopathic practice, we sometimes see links between skipped milestones and challenges later in coordination, posture, or learning. Gentle osteopathic treatment, guided movement therapy and the integration of retained primitive reflexes can help fill in these gaps if needed.
How You Can Support Your Baby’s Development
· Encourage Tummy Time to build the muscles needed for crawling
· Create Safe Floor Space so your baby has room to explore
· Avoid Too Much Time in Walkers or Jumpers, which can delay natural movement patterns
· Follow Their Lead, but gently guide them toward crawling if they seem to bypass it
Every child develops at their own pace, but supporting the full sequence of movement milestones helps set the stage for healthy growth. If you have concerns about your baby’s development, reach out to a paediatric osteopath or healthcare provider for personalised guidance. Click here to see some of my favourite go-to exercises to encourage babies crawling.
Dr. Nicole Cukierman
@bump.to.babe.osteo