Quick Answer
Yes, it is normal for a baby to skip crawling. Somewhere between 7 and 10 percent of babies go from sitting or another form of floor locomotion directly to pulling up, cruising, and walking without ever doing traditional hands-and-knees crawling. Current pediatric consensus is that crawling is not a required developmental milestone in the way that sitting, standing, and walking are. A baby who skips crawling but is otherwise developing typically across motor, language, and social domains is not missing something that will show up as a deficit later. This article covers why some babies skip crawling, what the research actually shows about outcomes, what to look for to confirm your baby is on a healthy track regardless of crawling, and what signs would warrant a pediatrician conversation.
Why Some Babies Skip Crawling
Babies skip crawling for a range of reasons, most of which are entirely benign:
- They find another locomotion strategy first and stick with it. Bottom shufflers (who scoot in a seated position) often skip hands-and-knees crawling entirely because scooting gets them where they want to go efficiently. Once a locomotion strategy is working, there is little developmental pressure to switch to a different one
- They transition quickly from sitting to pulling up. Some babies spend a relatively short time on the floor between confident sitting and pulling up to stand, compressing or skipping the crawling phase entirely. These babies tend to be highly motivated by upright exploration and make the leap to cruising and walking relatively quickly
- Limited floor time. Babies who spend more time in seats, bouncers, or carriers and less time on the floor have fewer opportunities to discover and practise crawling. This does not necessarily impair development, but it does reduce the likelihood of a crawling phase emerging in the typical window
- Temperament and body type. Some babies are more cautious and prefer the security of an upright position; others have body proportions or muscle tone distributions that make the hands-and-knees position harder to sustain for extended periods. These factors can contribute to a shorter or absent crawling phase
- Genetics. Bottom shuffling and crawling-skipping run in families. If a parent or sibling skipped crawling, the baby is more likely to do so as well
What the Research Says About Crawling and Later Development
The belief that skipping crawling has lasting developmental consequences is widespread but not well supported by current evidence. Several older studies and some therapeutic traditions have suggested links between skipping crawling and later difficulties with reading, attention, or coordination. These claims have not held up consistently in large, well-controlled studies.
The current evidence base supports the following conclusions:
- There is no reliable evidence that skipping crawling causes reading difficulties, learning differences, or attention problems in children who are otherwise developing typically
- There is no well-supported evidence that making a child crawl retroactively (through therapeutic crawling programmes) produces improvements in academic or cognitive outcomes for typically developing children
- Crawling is one of many locomotion strategies that serves the developmental function of getting the baby moving independently, building strength and coordination, and exploring the environment. The specific pattern of hands-and-knees crawling is not uniquely necessary for these functions to be fulfilled
This does not mean that crawling has no value. It builds upper body and core strength, develops bilateral coordination, and gives the baby a period of low-to-the-ground exploration that has its own sensory richness. Many developmental therapists continue to emphasise it for babies with specific motor concerns. But for a typically developing baby who skips it, the consensus evidence does not support alarm.
How to Know Your Baby Is on Track Without Crawling
The absence of crawling is not a concern on its own. What matters is whether your baby is making ongoing motor progress toward independent walking and showing development across all domains. Look for:
- Some form of independent floor locomotion by 9 months: Rolling, scooting, commando crawling, or any other self-directed movement counts. A baby with no interest in or capacity for independent movement of any kind by 9 months warrants a check-in with your pediatrician, regardless of whether crawling is the missing element
- Pulling to stand by around 10 to 12 months: This is one of the clearest indicators that the motor development leading toward walking is progressing normally. Pulling to stand requires leg strength, balance, and the motivation to be upright, all of which are necessary for walking
- Cruising by around 10 to 12 months: Moving sideways along furniture while holding on develops the weight-shifting and single-leg balance that underpins independent steps
- Weight-bearing on legs: When supported in a standing position, the baby accepts weight through their legs comfortably. Consistent reluctance to weight-bear on the legs is worth noting
- Walking by 18 months: The developmental window for independent walking extends to 18 months. A baby who is not walking by 18 months should be assessed by a pediatrician regardless of what their crawling history looked like
- Typical development in language and social domains: Motor development does not exist in isolation. A baby who is progressing in language, social engagement, and cognitive development alongside their motor development, even if the motor path looks different from the textbook, is almost certainly on a healthy trajectory
What to Do If Your Baby Is Skipping Crawling
In most cases, nothing specific needs to be done. If your baby is moving around independently in some way, pulling up, cruising, and otherwise developing well, the absence of hands-and-knees crawling does not require intervention.
If you would like to encourage time in the crawling position, the following approaches are gentle and low-pressure:
- Increase tummy time to build the upper body strength that crawling draws on, even if the baby is older than the typical tummy time window. Floor time on the belly is never wasted
- Encourage time on hands and knees by placing interesting objects on a low surface (like a coffee table edge or a low step) that the baby needs to reach up toward from a kneeling position
- Get on the floor in the crawling position alongside your baby. Some babies are more willing to try a new movement pattern when they see it modelled at their own level
These approaches are optional. If your baby is committed to scooting or moving directly toward pulling up, gentle encouragement is fine but sustained effort to override a working locomotion strategy is unlikely to change the developmental outcome.
When to Speak with Your Pediatrician
Skipping crawling alone is not a red flag. The following signs warrant a conversation:
- No independent mobility of any kind by 9 months
- Not pulling to stand by 12 months
- Not walking by 18 months
- Consistent asymmetry in how the baby moves (one side always doing more or moving differently from the other)
- Noticeably low muscle tone: the baby feels unusually floppy, tires quickly during movement, or has difficulty maintaining sitting independently
- Regression in motor skills: losing an ability that was previously present
- Concerns about development in other domains alongside the motor pattern
The 9-month and 12-month well-child visits are the natural moments to raise locomotion questions, and your pediatrician will be screening for motor milestones at these appointments.
Key Takeaway
Skipping crawling is normal and happens in roughly 7 to 10 percent of babies. Current pediatric evidence does not support the claim that skipping crawling causes lasting developmental difficulties in otherwise typically developing children. What matters is that your baby has some form of independent floor locomotion by 9 months, pulls to stand by around 10 to 12 months, cruises, weight-bears on their legs, and walks by 18 months. Gentle floor-based encouragement toward the crawling position is harmless and may be useful, but is not essential if your baby is making good motor progress by another route. Speak with your pediatrician if there is no independent mobility by 9 months, no pulling to stand by 12 months, no walking by 18 months, consistent motor asymmetry, low muscle tone, or motor regression.
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This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have concerns about your baby's motor development, consult your pediatrician.