While there is an uptick in metabolism that occurs when babies learn to crawl, there should not be sudden weight loss as a result of crawling.
Learning to crawl is one of the first large milestones that a baby hits. It officially begins the transition from being stationary to being mobile. It also shows the strength that a little one has gained in the first six months to a year of his life to be able to go from helpless, and incapable of controlling arm and leg movements to moving around under his own control.
Going from being immobile to constantly moving around also makes it so that the baby's metabolism rises. As such, many parents wonder if their little one should be experiencing weight loss as a result of burning more calories. And while there may be more calories being burned, going from the stage before crawling to crawling should not result in a large weight loss. If it does, there are likely other issues at play other than learning to crawl alone.
When a baby begins to crawl, he has been practicing for a few weeks to get himself into the right position to take off, which has meant he has been exerting extra calories. This is likely a great deal more than what he was doing when he was younger and immobile. As such, if the little one is still being fed the same amount of calories, his weight may likely drop a little.
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Because most babies start to learn to crawl between six and 12 months, according to healthline, they have already been introduced to solid foods. The solid food in conjunction with breast milk or formula should make it so that the little one's weight stays stable when learning to crawl. However, if the weight loss is apparent, feeding the baby nutrient-rich, calorie-dense foods, such as cheese and avocado are great ways to provide more calories to keep the baby's energy up and weight loss down, according to babycenter. The goal over the first year of life is to be consistently going in an upward motion on the growth chart in both height and weight, and the addition of more food as the little one grows and becomes more active is a key factor in making that happen.
Growth spurts happen quite frequently during the baby's first year of life. Some of the most common times for a growth spurt are at three, six, and nine months of life, according to what to expect. And for some, those growth months may coincide with the time that they learn to crawl. When this happens, the appearance of the baby is that he is losing weight, when in reality, he is just getting taller.
Likely during this time, the baby has been requesting larger meals or more frequent snacks to help give him the energy to grow. And he especially might be doing this if he is crawling at the same time. Therefore, while the appearance is that the little one looks leaner, as long as he is following the upward trend on the growth chart and looks proportionate, all is well.
If the baby learns to crawl around the time that he has an illness, there is likely to be some weight loss. This is because fluid intake, especially with a fever, is lower than what it would be were the baby healthy, and likely food intake is less as well. When that is coupled with a higher activity rate, it would make sense that a little bit of weight might be lost.
However, once the baby begins to feel better, his lost weight should begin to come back on fairly rapidly. If the weight loss continues, there may be some underlying issues that need to be examined, and a visit to the doctor would be recommended.
Even though a baby does begin to expend more energy once he begins his foray into crawling, weight loss is not something that should be a side-effect of the newly learned skill. While the weight gain may slow during this time, it should not stall or decline. As such, if there is rapid weight loss noticed despite the addition of extra calories, it might be worth a visit to the pediatrician to determine what is causing the weight loss and what steps can be taken to reverse it.
Source: babycenter, firstcry parenting, the Bump, healthline, what to expect
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Jessica is a freelance writer based out of California. She is a mom to two fiercely independent, fun-loving girls and wife to a man who helps her find balance in life. Jessica is an avid runner, consumer of really great cups of coffee, and enjoys adventuring off the beaten path whenever possible. Family is number one to Jessica and is what makes living this crazy, hectic, beautiful life worthwhile.
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