Why does my eleven-month-old baby walk on tiptoes?

After the baby is born, as the baby grows older, the baby's physical performance is different at different stages. Most babies can walk when they are one month old. Each baby's walking posture is different. Some babies walk on tiptoes. Generally speaking, if the baby starts walking on tiptoes, parents need to pay attention to it, and it is best to take the baby to the hospital for a check-up.

Why does an 11-month-old baby walk on tiptoes?

1. The baby lacks body awareness

If babies are not aware enough of their legs and feet, they may not be able to use these parts of the body flexibly, and their legs and feet may become stiff when they walk.

From the moment babies are born, we should let them know their bodies as early as possible and further enable them to actively control their bodies.

Don't wrap the baby too tightly (such as always putting socks on the baby or putting shoes on the baby before the baby starts to walk) and don't restrict the baby too much from exploring and experiencing with the body. This way, the baby's body awareness will develop better and it will be possible to better control and use his or her body.

2. High muscle tension in the knee fossa or ankle

Mothers can first observe whether the baby's knees and calf muscles are relaxed when the baby is relaxing or sitting, and whether the ankles, heels and soles of the feet are stiff.

If the muscle tone in one or more of these areas is high, it will be difficult for the baby to extend and contract the muscles in the knee or ankle when walking, so the baby will walk like he is dancing ballet.

High muscle tone in the knee pit or ankle area is the main reason why many babies walk on tiptoe.

3. Use a baby walker or walking belt

These two things are also the culprits that cause babies to walk on tiptoe. Look at those babies who are being carried and walked. They may think that walking means just using their toes.

Many mothers may say: But these make it easy for us to teach our babies to walk! In fact, we don’t need to teach our babies to walk in advance.

Babies who crawled for 500 hours were able to stand, walk and walk independently!

4. No inhibition and integration of labyrinthine reflexes

When the labyrinth reflex occurs, the baby's body presents a posture similar to a small airplane. This reflex can help the baby gain a sense of balance, space and depth, as well as build muscle firmness and proprioception after birth.

However, it should be inhibited and integrated into active movements when the baby is about four to five months old, and the whole integration process may last until the age of three.

If this reflex is not inhibited and integrated into active movements, the baby will show a ballet gait when walking: the baby's body will be slightly stiff when walking, the head will be tilted forward, the baby's balance will be poor, and the baby will be prone to falling.

Lack of prone position is the most important reason why the labyrinth reflex is not well inhibited and integrated. Therefore, never ignore your baby's early prone position. Generally, babies aged 3-5 months should do prone position for more than 2 hours a day.

5. Your baby may be imitating

One day, the baby may see other children walking on tiptoe like this and find it very novel, so he starts to learn it.

But in fact, walking on tiptoe is very tiring and not conducive to maintaining balance. Therefore, if it is just imitation, mothers should not be too nervous. As long as you do not deliberately emphasize this behavior of the baby in front of the baby, he will not imitate it again.