It is expected that your baby will be able to sit independently by the time they reach six months of age. Some babies may sit without support—without pillows or being held in your lap—before six months. However, some infants may be delayed in sitting independently, which is one of the first signs of motor development. This delay can also indicate a delay in other developmental milestones such as standing alone and walking. Some babies may skip the crawling stage altogether, which is not necessarily a cause for concern.
Mothers should be aware of several common mistakes that can lead to delayed motor development in their child. Sometimes, mothers think they are protecting their baby by making these mistakes, but in reality, they may be harming their child's development. In a special interview with nadormagazine, pediatric and neonatology consultant Dr. Raja Khalil highlighted four key mistakes mothers often make that cause delays in sitting, standing, crawling, and walking, including constantly carrying the baby and not giving vitamin D, among others:
1. Constantly carrying the baby leads to delayed motor development
Stop the habit of carrying your baby all the time and not placing them on the floor. Although you may be doing this out of love and happiness, it actually delays your baby’s overall motor development. Once your baby begins to learn to sit with support, place them on the floor for extended periods, surrounded by soft pillows to help them stay seated while observing their surroundings. This helps them get used to the floor, which may feel strange and scary at first. Only carry your baby on your shoulder when they want to sleep or are upset.
Scientific studies show that babies who are not carried all day develop motor skills faster than those who are carried on shoulders throughout the day.
Scatter some small, age-appropriate, safe toys around your baby. You can also place your baby on a soft plastic mat and surround them with large pieces of solid food, which they will try to grasp and explore with their mouths. Keeping your baby on the floor for longer will help them get used to it, and you will notice remarkable progress in their motor skills. Your baby will start crawling, then move quickly to standing while holding onto furniture, then stand alone, walk with assistance, and eventually walk independently.
2. Not giving vitamin D doses according to doctor’s recommendations
Make sure to give your baby the daily vitamin D dose starting from birth until 12 months old, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. The dose is 400 IU daily.
After four months of age, also provide natural sources of vitamin D, although limited, as they help bone and teeth development and support motor skills. These include daily egg yolks and low-fat dairy products. If you wonder when to expose your baby to sunlight, make sure to do so daily around midday for about 30 minutes, exposing the whole body to non-harmful sun rays.
3. Not placing the baby on their tummy delays motor development
From an early age, placing the baby on their tummy to sleep for short supervised periods helps motor development. Tummy time trains muscles and develops motor skills such as crawling and supported standing.
Sleeping on the tummy has limited benefits but helps strengthen neck muscles and reduces the risk of flat head syndrome caused by sleeping on the back.
If you choose tummy sleeping to encourage motor development, always supervise the baby to prevent suffocation risks. Do not let the baby sleep on the tummy for more than one continuous hour.
4. Leaving the baby in a walker for too long delays development
Stop leaving your baby in a walker all the time, thinking it will help them walk. In fact, walkers teach babies to walk incorrectly. The baby pushes their body inside the walker but does not use their legs for movement.
Studies show that walkers reduce the natural development of walking steps. Babies in walkers sit on their toes, which tightens weak leg muscles and weakens thigh muscles. Walkers also disrupt muscle coordination, delaying walking development.
Babies relying on walkers don’t use their hands or knees, delaying crawling. Since crawling is an important developmental stage, delayed crawling leads to delayed walking.
You can start using a walker only after your baby can sit independently. Do not leave your baby in the walker for hours; the maximum should be 15 minutes at a time and no more than 2 hours per day.
Walkers can be useful for mothers to rest and to distract babies during teething, especially if the walker has attractive toys. They also give babies freedom to move around the house, but this should be done carefully to avoid accidents.
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