How Babies Develop Awareness of Heights
When your baby begins to crawl forward, they gain visual experiences that help them develop an awareness of heights.
There's an aspect of vision called visual proprioception that seems to drive the development of height-awareness.
Visual proprioception is the optically based perception of self-movement. It activates regions of the brain linked with the inner ear and muscle reactions responsible for balance. When your baby begins to crawl, visual proprioception from forward movement increases, helping them understand the importance of what they see in the periphery for maintaining balance.
But being aware of heights can keep us from falling and getting injured… so why is it that babies don’t typically show an awareness of heights until after they learn to crawl?
It’s believed that one reason could be that infants are more prone to explore their environment and movement possibilities when they are less concerned about the consequences. The lack of fear helps them develop strategies to navigate their environments. It doesn’t hold them back!
Try this:
Introduce small heights for your baby to safely crawl over.
This provides a safe and controlled environment for them to explore and enhance their balance skills. My go-to is a couch cushion or a pile of pillows in the middle of the living room floor. This starter-height obstacle encourages your baby to navigate over it, strengthening their visual proprioception and overall motor skills.
Citation: Dahl A, Campos JJ, Anderson DI, et al. The epigenesis of wariness of heights. Psychol Sci. 2013;24(7):1361-1367.
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P.S. This information is for educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not a substitute for skilled physical therapy intervention. While I am a physical therapist, I am not your child's physical therapist. If you have questions or concerns about your child's health and/or development, please contact your pediatrician.
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