What’s The Deal With Hands Inward While Crawling?
"My baby turns her hands inward when crawling, is this bad?"
ANSWER- Hands turning inward crawling can be a totally typical part of the crawling progression, especially if you’re noticing it when they FIRST start crawling. Internal rotation of the shoulder, which can contribute to than hand inwards position, is a VERY stable position for the shoulder joint, which results in using that position for stability. It’s almost like locking out one joint in order to be successful at the others.
Typically, you will see the fingers begin to point more forward as they get stronger, and require less of that stabilizing lockout!
If your child has been crawling for more than 2 months and you’re still noticing hands turning in, don’t hesitate to mention it to your pediatrician, but it’s likely just a part of their process!
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For developmental questions, tips and guidance related to milestones about tummy time, rolling & sitting, crawling and walking, check out KC’s developmental Masterclasses linked here.
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KC is a pediatric doctor of physical therapy, wife and mom of three! She has spent her career working with children and young adults of all ability levels, and currently specializes in birth to three years.
