Crawling is an essential and an important phase in brain development.

1. Connects cerebral hemispheres creating crucial information routes to develop different cognitive functions such as language, literacy, mathematical logic, planning, organizing, etc.

2. Develops cross lateral integration, which is the neurological function to balance body movements (walking) integrating hip/shoulder axis.

3. Tones muscles that will further allow children to keep a perfectly straight spinal column.

4. Develops vestibular and proprioceptive system providing awareness of own body parts (spatial- temporal)

5. Allows visual focusing on a single point and shortening distances, according to important optometrist's research, 98% of children with strabismus "never crawled".

6. Enables palms of the hands proprioception (fine motor skills) subsequently influencing writing skills development.

7. Provides distancing knowledge of its surrounding world allowing environment adaptation.

8. Establishes future cerebral laterality - dominant/servicing (right handed/ left handed)

9. Contributes to develop eye - hand brain coordination contributing to future writing skills. When an infant crawls a similar distance is established between them, which will eventually continue when reading and writing.

10.Fosters the beginning of children's independence.

Dr. Yolanda Venegas
Mexican Pediatrician