By: Integrated Learning Strategies
The Bauer Crawling Reflex is linked to delays in learning and motor development if a child skips the crawling stage. It helps to develop the two hemispheres of the brain and strengthens the ability to store and retrieve information. It also promotes the maturation of the corpus callosum and reinforces the connection between the cerebellum and the frontal lobes.
Bauer Crawling Reflex The Bauer crawling reflex appears around twenty-eight weeks in utero and is activated by applying pressure to the soles of a newborn's feet when lying face-down. It assists in delivery and helps the child in milestones such as crawling, and eventually, walking.
Crawling Benefits for Higher Learning Crawling stimulates parts of the brain that are important for future learning, such as eye-hand coordination, binocular vision, cross lateral movement, and the communication highway between the right and left hemispheres. It also improves mental, visual and spatial development, promotes independence, and exposes infants to challenging new stimuli.