WARNING – Always supervise your baby during tummy time, especially while very young.
Tummy time is very important as it helps babies meet their developmental milestones. It is not uncommon for parents to become concerned about allowing babies on their stomachs since the ‘back to sleep campaign’. This has led to babies spending even less time on their stomachs; however it has now been shown to be an important stage in development. Our experienced paediatric Chiropractors can help you understand how you can help your baby if they are developing flat head syndrome (aka positional Plagiocephaly).
The following chart is meant as a guideline, please be aware that some babies may reach milestones before their peers. If you are concerned about your baby’s development it is important to consult a specialist for further advice.
| Age | Milestones |
|---|---|
| 6 Weeks | Smiling |
| 3 Months | Head Steady |
| 7 Months | Sits Unaided |
| 9 Months | Standing Unsupported |
| 11 Months | Crawling |
| 12 Months | 2-3 Recognisable Words |
| 13 Months | Walks Unaided |
When babies are placed on their stomachs they start engaging their neck muscles to lift their heads. Their desire to see what is in front encourages them to start pushing up with their hands, promoting the development of neck and arm muscles.
Many babies start rolling over from this position onto their back which promotes co-ordination. However it is always important to encourage tummy time and not allow your baby to limit it by rolling over each time.
From here they progress into the crawl position as they push up onto their knees (an important stage), missing this stage by jumping ahead to standing isn’t always a good thing.
If you feel that your baby / toddler is having developmental issues or appears in pain it may be worth booking them in for an assessment with our paediatric chiropractor. The chiropractor will assess the situation from pregnancy to present day to establish what the cause could be. This will be achieved through a thorough history and examination, following this an explanation of what has been found will be given to you before the chiropractor proceeds with treatment.
In general we find that younger babies (eg within the first month or two of birth) respond the quickest. This doesn’t mean older babies do not respond, just that a few more treatment sessions may be needed. Parents often comment on their babies sleeping better after treatment. The youngest baby our baby chiropractor Karen Habershon has ever treated was one day old.
If you would like to see our paediatric chiropractor to get your baby or child checked please call KH Chiropractic on 01392 984959 or email info@khchiropractic.com for a chiropractic appointment near Cranbrook, Rockbeare, Whimple and Broadclyst.
