FROM THE VERY BEGINNING. NEWBORNS, TUMMY TIME & PHYSIO
Xcel Health
Fastest growing provider of First Contact Practitioners to NHS Primary Care Networks in the UK
In order to contact Physiotherapists as little as possible when your child grows up, you need to be conscious of their health and development from the very first days. At first glance, a simple action, like laying a newborn on the tummy, is one of the strongest stimuli for its development.
Babies spend a considerable amount of time on their backs – cot, car seat and on your bodies. Placing them on their tummies gives them a completely different perspective of their world. It promotes motor, visual and sensory development.
You don’t need to wait to start tummy time! Babies can go on their tummies as a new born (just make sure they are fully supervised). It is not advisable to place babies on their tummies for sleep as there are risks involved e.g., SIDS.
There are a million benefits for tummy time. We would like to list down the main five reasons why play on tummy is so important for newborns and infants.
1.???????????Facilitates Motor Development:
When babies spend time on their tummies, they lift their head up and take weight through their shoulders. This strengthens their neck muscles, shoulder and back muscles. Tummy time activities are crucial for upper limb strength and directly impact fine motor activities and writing skills at school at a later age.
2.???????????Reduces any Head shape or Neck deformities
By spending time on tummies, babies move away from being on their backs for a long time. This reduces the influence of gravity and the weight going through the back of their heads. Hence, deformities like plagiocephaly (flat head posture) or torticollis (tight neck muscles on one side) are avoided.
3.???????????Improves Sensory Development:
By being on their tummies, babies are allowed to experience the world from a completely different angle and it aids sensory development.
Tactile (Touch) - Blanket fabric or the mother’s body provide great tactile/touch sensation to babies’ arms, bellies and legs.
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Proprioception (Joint pressure sense) – body weight that goes through the shoulder joints, spine, hips and knees sends positional sensation to babies’ brains and helps them to understand their position of body in space.
Vestibular (movement sense) – babies experience a sense of movement by their head movements and this serves as the foundation for balance and coordination in the later years of life.
Visual (eyes) – Babies are unable to explore their full visual field when they are on their backs. Peripheral vision is sometimes blocked by the edges of a cot or car seats. By being on their tummies, babies can lift their heads up and look around to get a full view of their surroundings which is very important for their development.
4.???????????Cognitive Development:
Both motor development and sensory development are the two main building factors for cognitive development. Studies involving neuro-imaging have found that increased physical activity promotes the formation of gray matter in the brain which is important for cognitive functions.
?5.???????????Bonding, Fun and Trust:
Although tummy time can be hard work in the beginning, babies gain tolerance very soon and engage very well with activities. Fun, interactive activities motivate the babies to sustain this position and develop their skills. Soon tummy time can provide great bonding opportunities for parents with their newborn.
?Our expert Paediatric Physiotherapist Kavi Punniyakotti can answer any questions or give more information.
Photo by Victoria Akvarel