No crawling = learning disabilities

samjpro · February 2012

Ugh. So C isn't crawling yet. Although she is super close. I just don't know if she will end up doing it at all. But I keep hearing that babies that don't crawl have learning problems later on. Anyone else hearing this? It stresses me out because everyone says she will just do it on her own time, but should I be doing more to help her?

rileylr215 · February 2012

Yeah. That's crap. Crawling is not an indication of intelligence or learning disabilities later in life. In fact, with the modern emphasis on back to sleep and the increased time babies spend on their backs as opposed to stomachs, it is becoming increasingly common that babies skip the crawling phase. My LO doesn't crawl, but he does scoot and pull himself up. He manages to problem solve and get into things without crawling. I don't consider him delayed by any stretch of the imagination.

SecondTimeinMSU · February 2012

My nephew never learned to crawl, he just went straight to walking. Well he is 10 years old so I am sure he could if you asked him to now but it was never a milestone. If anything learning is easier for him since he gets straight As without studying. He is the worst on his basketball team....however I think that is more the result of being born to two skinny, short people rather than any sort of no crawling = poor coordination later in life connection.

komurphy · February 2012

We had our regular well baby apt this morning and I asked our ped. this same question. My daughter crawls like a champ but my son doesn't. He said since he is babbling, trying to pull himself up, scooting, ect that he is pretty sure my baby is fine. He told us that as along as he is mobile that then he is right on track.

stuzyq14 · February 2012

they don't even use crawling as a milestone anymore. It is good for hand/eye coordination if you can get them to crawl - but has NOTHING to do with learning ability or intellectual development. There are plenty of other things you can do to help hand/eye coordination and tons of kids just never crawl.

hmontty · February 2012

Eh. My LO doesn't crawl or pull up. However, she rolls with precision and purpose (so she's very mobile), babbles like crazy, says and waves "bye-bye," mimics my gestures and sometimes my speech, knows her name and her dog's name, feeds herself and drinks from her own straw cup with no help, learns how to play with new toys quickly, is extremely social and super (intensely) interested in her surroundings. There's no way I can reasonably come to the conclusion that she has a learning disability just because she's not crawling.

She has always had a bit of a gross motor delay -- head lag until 4.5 months, couldn't sit unsupported until maybe 8 or 8.5 months, etc. However, her cognitive, fine motor, and speech are all on track, if not advanced. My doc told me that gross motor is absolutely the least important of the developmental dimensions and that at most all a delay might affect is what sports she plays.

LuvMyBobs · February 2012

DS is 11m, and has not crawled yet, and probably never will, but this in no way means he will have a learning disability. He literally rolls everywhere.He walks with my help, runs in his walker, pulls up on everthing, gets off the couch without falling... etc... He found other ways to get around instead of crawling. Crawling has no bearing on a child's learning abilities.

Now if your child had absolutely no interest in moving or getting around, I would think that would indicate a problem, and you should talk to your dr.

kje120 · February 2012

I have never heard that. And Andrew didn't start crawling until 9.5 almost 10 months - I wouldn't really worry about it.

samjpro · February 2012

Thank you! I'm feeling much better. My DD is very social, laughs, talks all the time, etc. She figures out how to get her toys to her. She will pick up the blanket and scoot it closer to her so that her toys will follow - little stinker. She seems intelligent but at the same time she does everything right around average if not later. I guess I just get worked up when I see/hear abuot 6 and 7 month olds crawling and pulling up. I know all babies are different, but you know how mom guilt can be.

She pulls up some so it seems like she wants to get places - just still figuring out. I should probably stop stressing and just enjoy her being a baby for now.

molisar · February 2012

Oh my, sorry you are hearing that! That would stress me out too. Luckily, there is no studies anywhere that confirm that very innacurate theory.

My good friend who is an amazing pedi said the only thing she looks for is 'intent to get from point A to point B in babies anywhere from 9-12 months'. AFTER 12 months, if there is no scooting, rolling, pulling, or reaching, THEN she'd start looking into developmental disabilities.

It sounds like your LO already has intent to move (since you said she is super close to crawling). Sounds like she is just fine.

kwitt22 · February 2012

My little sister never crawled. She was top of her class in HS, graduated with honors from college, and got her masters. She is now a personal assistant to a former state senator and is helping him write his memoir. Learning disability? I think not. She is one of the smartest people I know.

jerol · February 2012

There are quite a few theories out that there that those who do not crawl may have more difficulties in reading. But there is nothing to prove this link.

However, I do want to make a comment based on some replies...just because a baby is rolling, babbling, scooting, etc doesn't mean they will NOT have a learning disability. Just like crawling doesn't mean a child WILL have a disability.

Many students with LD meet their milestones at a normal age.

amy21tom · February 2012

Yes, it's a load of crap. Someone tried to tell my mom this when DS wasn't crawling at 7 months (he started at 8 months). Also, I didn't crawl, I don't have any learning disabilities and my strongest subjects were reading/writing (supposedly what is lacking in non-crawlers) and I have a Bachelor's in English. I also write for a living!

Now, granted, one person is not a scientific study, but don't worry yourself. It's BS and your LO is just fine!

laurakaz13 · February 2012

Crawling isn't even a milestone anymore. I know numerous babies DD's age and every single one of them has crawled at different times. Some still haven't crawled. It has nothing to do with intelligence levels or learning disabilities.

In fact, my nephew never crawled. He rolled, scooted and then one day got up and walked across the room.

mrsjune25th · February 2012

Babies will do what they are ready for when they are ready for. Don't worry! Enjoy what your child is doing now and don't worry about later.

Disneygeek77 · February 2012

My parents told me that. I guess they used to think that babies who didn't learn to crawl might later have dyslexia; however that isn't the case anymore. IT is just another one of those old theories that people don't believe anymore like giving newborns water or pregnant woman who life their arms above their head will cause the umbilical cord to be wrapped around the babies neck.

posvane · February 2012

I have always heard that crawling is not part of the developmental process. My DD2 "army crawled" forever! She went a few weeks crawling to walking. It is, of course, frustrating because we are always comparing our children to all others. I've been there. At your DD's 1 yr appointment if she's not crawling or walking, talk to the doctor. I am sure he/she will say, "let's give it a few more weeks." You are a great Mommy for worrying. That's our job!

posvane · February 2012

Moidonna:
I have heard this from a couple of teachers. One who swears that a lot of her struggling readers never crawled (according to their parents). I think it is likely that this is a coincidence. This definitely must have been a theory at one time though.

ETA: I have never heard this about learning disabilities or development delays, just reading problems. Learning disabilities, developmental delays, and reading struggles are all separate issues.(Though learning disabilities can affect reading of course).

What??? Those teacher are misinformed!

zeptattoo · February 2012

Who is telling you that crap? There is no connection between the two.

SeasideBride06 · February 2012

mullenem:

Apparently, crawling helps develop the correct curvature of your neck and lower spine and some of my spine issues are probably at least partially related to my lack of crawling. I thought that was really interesting.

That is interesting. I never crawled, but walked at 9 months and I have spine issues as well. However, I do not have any learning disabilities.

kristennd · February 2012

The studies were not substantiated in the long run, but so people know what their doctor etc is referring to, this is it:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2038537

ellekae · February 2012

Well, I just breathed a sigh of relief that I didn't even know I needed. DD is nearly 10m, and she doesn't crawl. She doesn't really scoot either. She sits and kicks and wiggles her legs until she gets where she wants to be (slow going). I was starting to feel a little nervous since the only comparison is a friend whose DS crawled at 4m and walked at barely 8m. Everyone keeps telling me "kids go at their own pace," but, man, it is hard to be the only one without a mobile kid!

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