Last week, a disturbing post on an Anat Baniel page was brought to my attention. That thread suggested that tummy time could not only be dangerous (SIDS), but could be counterproductive to a child’s development. As a practitioner of NeuroDevelopmental Movement® for more than 30 years, this statement could not be more false. I helped craft the response below.
Open Letter to Anat Baniel practitioners from NeuroSolutions International, primary authors Sargent Goodchild and additional information from Bette Lamont:
This letter is a response to the notion put forward on an Anat Baniel Facebook page, that tummy time and the encouragement of tummy crawling are bad for development. Our primary focus in this response is on crawling, because it is the primary developmental milestone associated with tummy time. In this letter, we intend to refute the idea that tummy time is a bad, even dangerous, aspect of child development. The course of infant human development involves some critically important stages of mobility, which are prerequisites for anatomical, neurological, social/emotional, and academic maturation. Specifically rolling, crawling (stomach), creeping (on all fours), standing, and eventually walking, running, and other bipedal skills create healthy brains and bodies. The beautiful relationship between function and structure can be seen on full display and in all its glory as a child progresses through this sequence.
Crawling is a vital function that develops fundamental structures. When an infant is on their stomach, they lift their heel to get a strong toe-dig so they can drive off one foot followed by the next in a reciprocating pattern for forward momentum. This reciprocal motion matures the Babinski reflex, arches the bottoms of the feet, stretches the heel cords, and helps form healthy hip sockets. It also forms the secondary curves in the spine, which ultimately allow the child to support their weight in the upright position and properly innervate a wide variety of organs, muscles, tissue, etc.
Without proper innervation, the body does not have all its adaptive resources available and therefore will be restricted in its ability to express complete health. The impact of the momentum generated from the legs comes up through the torso and pushes forth from the arms causing an extended reach, during which time the hand lands above the head with the wrist crossing midline. As the child’s body moves forward the chest momentarily traps and rolls the hands and wrists under it, teaching the hands the motions of pronation and supination. The eyes engage with the hands, and it is during this time in a child’s development that they learn how to visually track across the horizontal plane. The child is necessarily breathing against their own body weight, which helps develop a strong chest and lung capacity, giving them the best opportunity to become lifelong deep breathers. The act of moving across the floor on one’s stomach also stimulates the most tactile-sensitive areas of the body. This is why it is easier to determine how many fingers are being placed against your chest rather than your back without the use of your vision and explains why you can determine the sides of a quarter just using your sensitive fingers.
The most important reason a child needs to crawl on their stomach is because it develops an area of the brain called the pons, which is responsible for a sense of belonging, awareness of pain, temperature, and discomfort, and is responsible for signaling the production of serotonin.
With all this in mind, it is shortsighted and intellectually careless to refer to tummy time as “bad for development,” “a cause of SIDS,” and “counterproductive and dangerous.” Children raised on their stomachs not only benefit from everything mentioned above, but they do not suffer from positional plagiocephaly.
No mother can disagree with the universal truth that there can be no growth without labor. We see it not only during the course of pregnancy, but in all endeavors. Our children don’t always want to do their chores, eat their vegetables, perform the routines of daily hygiene, complete their homework, or practice their extracurricular activities, but as parents, we support and facilitate these pursuits because we know it is important to their success and joy. We don’t simply accept that because children cannot brush their teeth, or properly clean themselves after moving their bowels, it is unnecessary to assist them. The same is true for a child who may be uncomfortable performing a skill. Bathing may not be comfortable for every child, but it is necessary, and parents are not in the wrong for helping their child find success performing that activity. Stomach time is an essential part of child development, and there are many ways in which parents and professionals can help children achieve this milestone without being characterized with harsh words. The term “forcing” denotes an element of abuse that would never be encouraged or tolerated by a principled practitioner.
When working with a young infant or child, the goal of neurodevelopmental movement is to facilitate the acquisition of developmental milestones in the proper sequence, so that the child has the opportunity to create integrity from the earliest stage. Time spent on the belly – from day 1 – is remarkably productive. It leads to healthy anatomical structures and develops foundational visual, tactile, and fine motor skills, which are necessary readiness skills for crawling and for academic, athletic, and social successes later in life. When the opportunity to be on the tummy is given from the first weeks of life, babies are far more accepting of this position and will work through the challenges of tummy crawling to reap its many benefits.
Children who are not put on their tummies until the third or fourth month of life may raise more objections and lose out on this wonderful developmental activity.
The majority of children will progress through the crawling stage without the need for further adult facilitation, and the benefits of their earliest tummy time will have a positive impact on the rest of their lives. For a child who has experienced physical, chemical, or emotional insults, the benefits of tummy time are even greater.