Pam Versfeld   Revised Nov 2024  sfa.tomt@gmail.com

Jose' story 

Jose is a friendly and active 9-month-old baby who gets to where she wants to be by rolling across the floor. She is starting to push up into all fours but has not yet mastered crawling. Jenni, Jose's mum, is conserved that Jose has not yet learned to take weight on her legs when she is held erect but instead lifts both her legs forwards with her knees straight. This is called the sitting-on-air posture. 
 

Jenni wants to know why Jose lifts her legs up in the unusual way and what can be done to get Jose to lower her legs and stand on her feet.

When do typically developing babies start to take weight on their their legs?

From about the age of 6-7 months most infants will start to put their feet down, stiffen their legs and take some weight when held vertically with their feet on a firm surface.   Some infants seem to really like doing this and prefer to stand rather than sit on a carer’s lap. 

Here you see how Will (8 months) first bends his legs, then extends them in readiness for standing when he is picked up. 

Some infants do not straighten their legs in readiness for standing

There is a group of infants who do not straighten their legs in readiness for taking weight on their feet.  When you pick them up, they bend the legs and may even hold them straight forwards as if they are sitting on air.  There is no good explanation for why some infants do this and in most cases they eventually start to take an interest in standing on their feet.  

All the infants whom I have seen doing this have been hypermobile, so there may be some link to hypermobility.  And walking has been delayed. 

Possible reasons why a baby does not start to take weight on the legs

Babies with developmental delay associated with a difficult or preterm birth, those with hypermobile joints, low muscle tone or a highly sensitive nature  may be late achieving their motor milestones including stretching their legs and taking weight when held upright. 

If your baby is not taking weight on the legs by 7-8 months  visit to the baby's pediatrician is a good idea to rule out any hip joint problems such as hip dyplasia and developmental disorders such as cerebral palsy, congenital hypotonia, Down syndrome, muscle abnormalities and various genetic disorders such as angelman syndrome. 

Jose's Story. Jenni starts to practice standing with Jose 

Jenni has booked a visit to the pediatrician to get some answers to her questions about Jose's development.  In the meantime Jenni and I have started to explore options for encouraging Jose take weight on her legs and stand holding on the a low table or couch. 

We start by practicing sitting on a low step with the feet flat on the floor. We play games to encourage Jose to lean forwards to retrieve, bang, pull, push or  knock over a toy.

These pictures show how Will at  8 months leaning forwards to grab my hands. You can see how this action brings his weight forwards over his feet.  (Here he is sitting on a 10 cm high high density foam block.)

Reaching forwards transfers some of the weight over onto the feet and provides the first experience of pressing down on the floor with the feet when in the upright position. 

We also look at letting Jose stand her feet on the floor and her  with her torso resting on a hip-height surface. 
In this position Jose starts to push up on her forearms and each for toys. To start with Jenni holds Jose's  knees straight. 

I  suggest that Jose be encouraged to move around on the floor in sitting.  

Babies who move from sitting into crawling and kneeling positions use their feet for leverage and will often put them down flat on the floor. This not only helps to strengthen the leg muscles but get the infant used pushing down on the floor with the soles of the feet. 

Please visit the Standing Homepage.

Here I have posted a number of articles about common difficulties babies experience and how parents, and family members, can help them reach the walking milestones. You will also find out more about the videos illustrating training activities and the Training Standing PDF Book.

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