+ What should I do if I am concerned about my baby’s development?

We encourage you to talk to your pediatrician about your concerns. We offer physical therapy evaluations in your home for a more in depth assessment of your child's movement abilities.

+ why is tummy time important?

• Spending time on their tummy helps infants to develop the strength of their neck, back, hip and leg muscles. Developing strong muscles helps babies master new motor skills like rolling, sitting, crawling, and eventually walking.
• It helps infants to develop better head control by strengthening the muscles of their neck.
• Time on their tummy gives babies an opportunity to keep pressure off the back of their head. Spending time on their back in swings, carseats, and other “containers” can increase the chance of your baby developing flatness on the back of their head - a condition called plagiocephaly. Strengthening the neck muscles also gives babies the ability to reposition their head by themselves which also lessens the chance of developing “flat head syndrome” which is technically called plagiocephaly.
• It helps prevent the abnormal tightening of a neck muscle called the Sternocleidomastoid. Tightness in this muscle leads a baby to show a preference to turn their head one way and tilt it the opposite direction. This preference is called torticollis. Tummy time improves the baby’s neck muscle strength so that they can change the position of their head, and gives time off their back where babies are more likely to develop this preference.
• It gives your baby the opportunity to see the world from a different point of view. This change in position gives your baby new sensory information that is different from when they are on their back. This new information helps them learn about the position of their body in space and develop their vision and sense of movement.
• When they are on their belly, infants begin to use their hands to explore the area around them and put weight on their arms. This weight helps to develop the strength of their shoulder and the arches of their hands, which are important for later fine motor activities like writing.

+ When should i start tummy time?

Babies can, and should, do tummy time from day one. In fact, most babies do get tummy time on day one, by laying skin to skin on mom's chest after birth. That's a great position for tummy time in the early days when your baby wants to be close. The American Academy of Pediatrics encourages parents to do tummy time with their baby from the first day home from the hospital. Babies who start tummy time from the first days of life are more likely to tolerate and enjoy being in the position. That being said, it's never too late to start!

+ What if my baby fusses on their tummy?

Check out our blog post to learn ways to help your baby enjoy tummy time.