Every child grows at their own pace. Babies know how to lift their heads, roll over, sit, and crawl when they are in the first year of their development. In this period, they started to recognise faces, smile at different things, try to speak and sing and many more things that make parents awe. The scenario can be a little different for children with developmental delays. Parents start to worry when their baby is not crawling or rolling over even after one year. If you are wondering “Why is my baby not rolling over?”, you just need to calm down first and get into the matter a little deeper.
Why Is It Important for Children to Roll Over?
If you are a new parent, you may not be well versed in the importance of babies rolling over or why you should worry if your baby is not rolling over or crawling. Crawling and rolling over are developmental milestones for babies from 6 months to 12 months. Babies start rolling over their stomachs, raising their heads, and trying to sit with the support of their hands. During this period, they also start to open and close their fingers, and hold things at their reach, especially the fingers of their parents, toys, etc.
Not rolling over even after 12 months can be a sign of gross motor delay in a child. Like, babies are suffering from developmental delays if they cannot raise their heads while laying on their stomachs when they are at the age of 3 to 4 months. In that case, you need to visit a physiotherapy clinic for kids near you to consult with a pediatric therapist.
Which Muscles are Importance for Babies to Roll Over in the beginning?
In order to learn why your baby is not rolling over, you have to understand first how they actually roll over. Before anything, parents need to keep in mind that rolling over is a complex movement. Going from a supine position (laying on the back) to a prone position (laying on the belly) or doing the opposite requires strong and well-developed flexor muscles. If these muscles are not fully developed, it can make it difficult for a baby to roll over. Babies can still try to roll over, however, they might not be able to accomplish this developmental challenge without external support.
What Is the Best Thing You Can Do to Make Your Child Roll Over?
Before you talk to a doctor or consider physiotherapy for infants, you need to first understand your child’s psychology and the reason behind his/her not rolling over. Each and every child is different. So, your child may not find rolling over interesting and that is why he/she doesn’t roll over. But, as a parent, you need to make sure that the reason is not a serious health condition or a developmental disorder. You can make sure of the reasons by changing the environment where they might enjoy moving, crawling and rolling over. You can also demonstrate how to roll over by doing yourself while playing so that they also do that to imitate you.
Not Rolling Over- Is It Something for You to Worry?
During the discussion, we have already mentioned the significance of rolling over for a child. Your child may not roll over frequently. But, if they can do it once in a while without your help, there is nothing to worry about. However, if that is not the case, this might be a case of motor disorder.
Hope Abilitation Medical Center is a rehabilitation center offering pediatric physiotherapy for kids in Dubai. Our pediatric physiotherapists are known for their holistic approach that helps parents address their children’s developmental delays and suggest the best therapy to overcome developmental milestones. Our pediatric physical therapy programs are designed to improve the strength, gross motor skills, coordination, flexibility, balance, and sensory integration of children.
Click here to learn more about our physiotherapy clinic and call us to book an appointment!
