What To Do About A Rounded Back While Sitting?

"I feel like my baby is always rounding their back in sitting. Is that normal?

ANSWER- Sitting is one area where we can see A LOT of compensation for weak or tight muscles, so this answer will be a general one!

First, the biggest thing I focus on with sitting, especially during play, is that we want to see a variety of sit positions. Side sitting, criss-cross sitting, ring sitting, sitting on a bench, etc. A child should be able to utilize many different sit positions to engage fully with what they are playing with. IF your child is ONLY able to sit one way and play OR is relying heavily on things like a w-sit or with back very rounded to be successful, that is definitely something I like to have my eye on.

With rounding specifically, it can be absolutely just another play position. But it can also be indicative of compensation for weakness through the core or back muscles. SO, the easiest way to gauge which it may be or whether intervention is necessary would be to look at the whole picture.

Ask yourself:

• Can they play other ways in sitting? Can they correct their posture if cued?

• Are they able to sit up straighter, or are they consistently rounded at all times?

Those sorts of things can help figure out if it's just a part of typical development and play, or if there may be an underlying contributor to the preferred position.

WANT MORE?

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.