Today’s babies struggle with basic motor skills, including rolling over, reaching and lifting their heads and shoulders, due to sedentary time spent in strollers, car seats and carriers, according to a recent national physical therapists’ survey. Spending too many waking hours on their backs may put babies at risk for developmental, cognitive and organizational skill delays, eye tracking problems and behavioral issues.
The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) prescribes “tummy time” to encourage healthy development. Experts recommend carrying and holding babies in a variety of positions, avoiding long stretches of time spent on their backs while they’re awake. Many parents learned to put their babies to sleep on their backs from the successful 1990s “Back to Sleep” campaign, designed to reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). An updated version of the campaign recommends, “Back to Sleep, Tummy to Play.”
Babies may squawk at being plopped tummy down on the floor – but tummy time doesn’t have to mean floor time, notes Kim Walker, a physical therapist with Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children in Dallas. Any activity that keeps your baby from lying flat in one position against a hard surface can contribute to healthy physical and motor development.
Walker encourages parents to build tummy time into daily care and playtime. She suggests carrying babies differently to and from diaper changes; placing babies in varied positions for floor play and naptime; and varying holds for both breastfeeding and bottle-feeding.
