6.5 months worm crawling

Motor Development
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#1

My 6.5 month old son is worm crawling. He does have hypotonia and hyper mobility and we are getting fitted for either AFOs, SMOs or orthotics soon since he begun pulling to a stand and has severely hyper mobile ankles, but that’s not to do with crawling. His hips are loose, too, and he keeps them in a froggy position.

Looking for activities and exercises to help him gain strength to begin on the knees crawling instead of worm crawling. We have tried the blanket on the tummy but he won’t go anywhere and let’s his legs frog in that position so they kind of dangle, he isn’t motivated enough to even try to get over pillows or floor obstacles, and if I place him on his knees and hold them in so he doesn’t frog leg he won’t go or do anything with himself in that position.

He’s not very physically motivated either. If I place a toy he likes out of reach he sometimes will crawl to it. Other times he just finds interest in the lines in the floor or his hands and won’t move but is happy not to (very calm and easy temperament)

8M lost interest in crawling
#2

HI there! Most babies crawl anywhere from 7-9 months, so your son may be just shy of that milestone. But given his hypotonicity, it’s good that you are being proactive! :slight_smile: Is he under the ongoing care of a pediatric OT or PT?

In general, most babies are motivated to move and when they don’t, it’s usually because it’s a little challenging. Before we go into crawling on hands and knees, I like to explore stability in the quadruped (4 point position). Is the baby able to sustain that position and possibly rock back and forth? Also, what do the earlier motor milestones look like? Is the baby able to push up onto extended arms in tummy time, pivot in tummy time? Is he able to roll from back to belly and belly to back? Crawling is such a dynamic, whole body movement pattern and requires a lot of strength, coordination, and a good foundation to build from.

Here’s and instagram post that we did regarding playing and stabilizing in the quadruped position.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9dAjIghgmA/?igshid=1rs4ew6t0x7u3

I’m sure other will also chime in with some helpful resources! Keep us posted! :heart:

#3

Hey, thanks for chiming in! He does have a monthly OT/PT appointment this new worm crawling skill occurred in between appointments so we have a few weeks before seeing them again!

He has been rolling both ways since five weeks (we believe it was pain motivated, he kept dislocating his shoulder). He can push up onto his knees and maintain the position for up to about 30 seconds but then frogs out. He can rock in that position during that time. He pivots very well/fast and a lot, goes up into full extended arms easily and often, and is a master at unassisted sitting (since about 4.5 months for this one). His hyper mobility is focused around his hips, ankles and shoulders we were told. We tried pillows on the ground again today and he simply wormed his way around them to get to the other side and didn’t even bother trying to go over them lol

#4

So as @tots-mary said, your baby is on the early end of this milestones, but since you’ve noticed and are treating hypermobility in his hips, then it would probably be helpful to give him some assistance. Is there any possibility of increasing services to once a week instead of once a month?

Have you tried playing with him over your leg? This can help him maintain quadruped for longer and encourage more weight bearing through the hips.

check out this post to see how:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9dAjIghgmA/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Also playing in a low kneel with support at the hips is great for building stability. Even if he can only maintain it for a few seconds, but practicing several times a day can really add up.

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#5

Hey, thanks for the tips! I will try over the leg as well as once a week but with COVID I doubt they will see us more. We will keep trying the low kneeling.

#6

You can also try having toys on a vertical or slanted or slightly elevated surface which could help engage him while he is over your legs in four point. Also, hip helpers can be helpful to help hold their legs together some so they can build the strength in that range without having to work so hard to get them there. It kind of replaces your hands. Here is a link.https://www.hiphelpers.com/