Babies on their backsides too often, say researchers
According to researchers from Ghent University, Flemish infants spend too much time on their backs or sitting around and as a result take their first steps later than other children
Flip them over
For a master’s thesis, UGent researchers tracked motor development of 77 babies from 4 months to when they made their first steps. On average, the babies started walking about a month later than the world average. The researchers did not specify the exact age at which the children started walking to avoid worrying their parents.
The Flemish babies are too frequently put on their back, say the researchers. The Flemish family agency Kind en Gezin advises putting children to sleep on their back to reduce the risk of sudden infant death. According to the researchers, this causes more parents to also put their babies on their backs when they are awake, slowing down the development of their motor skills.
“Babies should be put on their bellies as often as possible, so that they learn to roll and crawl faster,” professor Hilde Van Waelvelde told De Morgen.
The researchers also say that Flemish babies spend too much time sitting. The researchers call on parents to only use car seats when driving, not for other occasions. Sitting too long in car seats, they say, has a negative influence on the development of babies’ abdominal and back muscles.
The university has launched a special website with relevant suggestions for parents.
Photo: Berenice Garcia/Flickr
