The Bauer Crawling Reflex, which occurs around 28 weeks in utero, helps in the development of whole body coordination and balance between the right and left hemispheres. It occurs when the baby is around six weeks old and reappears when learning to crawl. Eliciting the reflex involves applying pressure to the feet, which leads to crawling movements.
Other signs of a retained Bauer crawling reflex include the following:
– Delays in movement control
– Issues with coordination
– Delays in emotion growth
– Lag in cognitive developmental stages
– Frustration, sensory challenges and hyperactivity in the child
Crawling benefits for higher learning by increasing physical strength, motor control, and stimulating brain parts crucial for future learning. It helps organize neurons, enabling the brain to control cognitive processes and improve comprehension.
Infants' first movements, such as hand-eye coordination and binocular vision, develop essential skills for daily activities like reading, writing, and copying. Cross-lateral movement strengthens the communication highway between the right and left hemispheres, enabling higher learning, such as analysis and critical thinking. Crawling also improves mental, visual, and spatial development, such as tracking, decoding, writing, and problem-solving.