Early Standing in Babies: Understanding the Complete Picture
As parents, we often get excited when our babies show an early interest in standing. It’s commonly seen as a sign of advanced development or strength. However, pediatric therapists have a different perspective that’s crucial for parents to understand. Let’s dive deep into why early standing might not be the milestone celebration you think it is.
The Natural Developmental Sequence
Before we discuss standing, it’s important to understand that babies develop motor skills in a specific sequence for important neurological and physical reasons. This sequence typically includes:
- Head control
- Tummy time skills
- Rolling (back to belly and belly to back)
- Sitting independently
- Crawling
- Pulling to stand
- Cruising
- Independent standing and walking
Each stage builds upon the previous ones, developing crucial foundations for proper movement patterns. For example, you wouldn’t try to run a marathon your first time putting on running shoes!
The “Standing Trap”: Understanding Why
When babies seem eager to stand early or constantly want to be upright, they’re doing it because it’s easier. They are turning on all of their extensor muscles. This is easier than working on rolling or sitting or crawling where they have to isolate different muscles to do different jobs. Think of it like this: instead of learning to play individual piano keys (isolated, controlled movements), they’re slamming their whole hand on the keyboard (turning on all of their extensors).
What’s Really Happening:
- Babies are locking their joints and muscles
- Using all of their extensors instead of isolated muscle control
- Taking a ‘shortcut’ that feels stable but doesn’t build proper strength
- Missing crucial developmental steps that build true stability and control
This pattern might seem impressive, but it’s actually a compensatory strategy that can interfere with proper development.
Why Early Standing Can Be Problematic
Developmental Impacts:
- Interferes with development of isolated motor control
- Creates movement patterns that may need to be corrected later
- Puts unnecessary stress on developing joints because they don’t have the motor control to support the posture
- May cause babies to skip crucial developmental stages
What Gets Missed:
- Core strength development
- Ability to weight shift appropriately
- Bilateral and cross body coordination
- Development of the vestibular system
Signs Your Baby Is Using Total Extension
Watch for these indicators:
- Prefers to be in standing over any other position
- Resistance to floor play
- Difficulty or inability to transition between positions
- Limited variety of movement
- Rigid or stiff posture when standing
- Locked knees and extended back
Building True Motor Control
Proper development involves:
- Learning how to control each muscle group independently
- Knowing how to turn on and off the right muscles at the right time
- Developing core strength through a variety of positions and movements
- Mastering transitional movements between positions
- Creating control through practice and repetition of uncontrolled movements, such as falls
What Parents Can Do
Encourage Healthy Development:
- Engage in guided tummy time activities
- Provide plenty of floor time opportunities
- Create novel and varied floor based play options
- Avoid use of standing devices and walkers
- Allow natural progression through developmental stages
Redirect Standing Behavior:
- Engage in floor based activities
- Provide opportunities for safe exploration at the floor level
- Use toys that encourage crawling and reaching
- Make tummy time fun and interactive
When to Seek Professional Help
Consider consulting a pediatric physical therapist if:
- Your baby strongly resists floor play
- Shows strong preference for only wanting to stand
- Has asymmetrical movements
- Appears overly stiff or floppy
- Skips developmental milestones
Conclusion
While early standing might seem impressive, understanding the complexity of proper motor development helps us make better choices for our babies’ development. By supporting natural developmental sequences and encouraging proper muscle control, we give our children the best foundation for strong, coordinated movement patterns that will serve them throughout their lives.
Remember: Every baby develops at their own pace, and the goal isn’t to reach milestones as quickly as possible, but to build strong, proper movement foundations that will support them throughout their lives. For ideas on how to support them check out our Milestone Resource Round-up