Our vestibular system, often referred to as the body’s balance system, plays a key role in your baby’s ability to move, balance, and understand where their body is in space. Developing a strong vestibular system from an early age lays the foundation for future milestones like crawling, walking, and even learning to focus and pay attention.
The vestibular system is located in the inner ear and is responsible for processing information related to movement, gravity, and balance. It helps your baby understand how their body moves in relation to the world around them. When your baby turns their head, changes position, or moves from lying down to sitting, the vestibular system is hard at work processing these movements and orientating your baby to their world.
This system works closely with other sensory systems, including vision, proprioception and touch, to help babies develop motor skills, coordination, and balance. Proper vestibular development is essential for later skills like walking, jumping, and running.
How Does Vestibular Development Happen?
Vestibular development begins in utero and continues throughout childhood. Babies naturally stimulate their vestibular system through any movement they perform, even before they are born. After birth, simple activities such as being rocked in your arms or gently bounced, provide important vestibular input that helps regulate your baby’s nervous system.
As your baby grows, activities like tummy time, crawling, and rolling all play a significant role in further stimulating the vestibular system. These movements challenge your baby to adjust their balance accordingly, gain strength, and explore how their body moves in different ways. For example, when babies crawl, their vestibular system tells them which muscles to engage to shift their weight from side to side, how to maintain their head in a neutral plane and which core muscles to engage to maintain postural control.
Why Vestibular Development Matters
A well-developed vestibular system is key for many essential skills:
- Maintaining balance and postural control
- Supporting our coordination and fluidity of movements
- Even our focus and attention rely heavily on a functioning vestibular system
- Allowing your baby to feel secure and confident as their body moves through space, particularly on swings and at playgrounds.
- Spatial orientation within our surroundings
- Provides a calming and regulating effect on our nervous system
How to Support Vestibular Development
You can help your baby’s vestibular system develop in fun, easy ways:
- Tummy Time: Encourages head control and development of trunk muscles. It also helps your baby begin to navigate their world with their head up against gravity.
- Gentle Rocking: Rocking your baby in your arms provides soothing vestibular input.
- Swings: You can use a ready built swing, or make your own our of blankets or even use your own body to swing your child when they are little. Check out our video from bub club that shows you how you can do this at home.
- Playtime on an Exercise Ball: Gently rolling your baby on an exercise ball encourages them to adjust their body and balance. Mix up movements with baby laying on their tummy, back or sitting on your lap to get them used to a variety of planes of movement.
- Dancing with your baby: holding your baby and moving, spinning and dancing around can also stimulate their vestibular system in a variety of ways
- Aeroplane rides: holding your child up prone against gravity will further develop their trunk and neck muscles and expose them to movement planes they don’t access as frequently
Supporting your baby’s vestibular development is an essential part of fostering their physical, sensory, and cognitive growth. Simple, everyday activities can go a long way in helping your baby develop the balance, coordination, and confidence they need to navigate the world. If you ever have concerns about your baby’s balance or motor skills, consider reaching out to our team about how we can support your child’s development.