What can I do if my baby does not turn? | When do babies turn?

What can I do if my baby does not turn?

The milestones in a child’s life are very individual and do not follow an exact plan. Even if parents are eagerly waiting for these milestones, turning late does not automatically mean that the child is ill. Some children do not turn at all and start crawling before they can turn while lying down.

At the age of six to eight months, the U5 preventive examination takes place and here the child’s motor skills are assessed in particular. For children who cannot turn at this age, the pediatrician can perform or arrange for additional examinations so that neurological diseases or orthopedic developmental disorders that prevent the child from turning can be ruled out. When diseases are ruled out, parents should not worry too much about not being able to turn.

Some children simply do not want to turn because the movement is unfamiliar and strenuous. In the regular check-ups, attention is still paid to motor development. Differences to other babies do not have to have a disease value and the direct comparison does not make sense.

Can I practice turning with my child?

The turning of a baby is a milestone that parents are eagerly waiting for. Since some children take a lot of time with the turn, some parents want to encourage this step. Every movement promotes the muscle development that is necessary for initially strenuous movements such as turning.

Babies train most movements by themselves by kicking and moving their arms. Parents can support the movement into the prone position by placing one hand on the child’s hip. When the child bends his or her legs, slight pressure can be applied to initiate a rotation.

Some children manage to free their arms themselves, but if this does not work, parents should help. Children who are often placed in a prone position train the necessary muscles faster. Unlike sleeping children, who should definitely lie on their backs, awake children can be regularly laid on their stomachs.

Even a toy just out of the baby’s reach can make a turn more likely, since the prone position offers more interaction possibilities. Active training is usually not necessary because the children learn movements according to their own schedule and some children need longer for the turn, but this has no illness-related value. This could also be interesting for you: When does my child start to walk?the prone position is an opportunity for the baby to see more and develop a greater range.

The desire to turn can be caused by an unreachable toy, for example. A toy placed just out of reach, which was previously played with, can therefore encourage the baby to turn.Also siblings, pets and the parents themselves can arouse the desire to turn, since the baby would like to get closer to them. Often this animation takes place randomly and the parents cannot say exactly what triggered this.

Many different muscles are needed for a rotation. Although we do not notice such a rotation as an exertion of force, this movement is associated with a great effort for a baby. First of all, the neck muscles have to be trained and babies have to develop control over their head.

The trunk muscles and arms must also be strengthened. Resting on the hands and forearms in the prone position trains the muscles and creates the best conditions for later movement. The baby’s abdominal muscles are trained by pulling and tensing the legs.

The movement pattern of the turn itself is a normal milestone and is achieved by almost all children without specific training. Although the first turns are often accidental, not only muscle power but also drive is required for targeted movement. This drive for motor milestones is often curiosity and the desire to achieve something or someone. Turning is one of the gross motor movements and is a preparation for a targeted movement like crawling. The babies train their motor skills all by themselves.