As a Pediatric Chiropractor I have some fairly consistent recommendations for parents in my practice, simple practices in infant ergonomics that support your baby’s healthy spinal development.
Here are my top 5:
Keep The Car Seat For The Car
Car seats are a modern day necessity however a child’s time should be limited in them. When not in a moving vehicle, a child should not remain in a car seat or other bucket device such as swings or infant seats for prolonged periods of time. They need to move, and explore the freedom of movement!
Avoid The Use Of Baby Movement Devices
The use of infant sitting devices, jolly jumpers, and walkers before your child has achieved the gross motor ability to support themselves naturally in these devices is not a good idea. Let your child guide their own development. Read more about why I’m not a fan of these types of devices in this blog post.
Choose Baby Carriers That Have Your Baby Facing You
You might think your child needs to face outward to see the world. But the best way to use an infant carrier is to always have them facing you. I’m a big fan of baby wearing and used slings and carriers extensively for both my sons! Baby carriers that allows for fully supported hips in the seated position, ideally with the infants facing their carriers are ideal. Forward facing carriers where the legs are not supported properly often extend the hips backwards – and sometimes even open too much. This will also affect the developing lumbar spine and its proper alignment. Making matters worse, this dysfunctional joint position can be aggravated further with every step the parent takes. Placing your child facing you, whether on your hip, back or front is simply just better for you and them!
Don’t Stress About Tummy Time
Yes, it’s vitally important that babies from three weeks of age onwards start to have short bursts of ‘tummy time’—time spent lying on their tummies, holding their own heads up. This simple act builds up their neck muscles and activates brainstem pathways which are critical for healthy brain development. If your little one really struggles with it, find a Pediatric Chiropractor! Being comfortable on their belly facilitates their next spinal development stages, but we don’t spend our lives on our bellies! As an adult you wouldn’t love being on your stomach for a prolonged period of time either. Be sure they can do it, but don’t think they need to be in this position all day long. Read more about my tips on tummy time in this blog post.
Give Your Child Freedom To Explore Their Own Movement
This means as much as possible throughout the day, give them a variety of body positions. Hold them, wear them, let them lie on their stomach, on their back, in the sling chairs. Your child is just like you – if they are in one position for too long their body won’t love it. They are in their developmental years where freedom of movement is crucial for movement patterns to develop. Variety is key!
There are many things to worry about as a parent. Hopefully these 5 ideas will help you stress less about their development, and ensure their bodies have ample opportunity to grow at their own pace and thrive.
Be sure to check out these other blog post for other ideas, and reach out if we can support your family’s health.
