Author Name: Dr. Jalpa Shah (B.P.Th.)
What is W-sitting?
When a child sits on the floor, his bottom is between his legs, and his knees are bent with legs rotated away from the body.
All children have potential to begin the W-sitting habit because it increases their base of support and stability and allows them to concentrate on the play than balancing themselves.
Is W-Sitting a Concern?
When the child tries to sit from crawl position, he temporarily achieves W-sitting. If the child continues to be in the same position when he starts standing, it is a matter of concern.
Causes of W-sitting:-
Effects of W-sitting:-
Hip distortion:-W-sitting puts enormous pressure on the internal aspects of the hip joints which causes shortening of stabilising muscle. It also impacts the walking development of the child.
Knee-foot distortion :-In W-sitting there is internal rotation of knee and external rotation of ankle. It causes tightness in the hamstring and T.A tender. E.g.: pigeon toed gait.
Poor development of toe muscle:-It is a secondary side effect. As kids stabilise themselves by extreme rotation of their legs, they do not need to use the muscles in their core to stay upright or to balance.
Lack of cross body coordination:-In this position, the child cannot achieve trunk rotation and cannot shift his weight over each side. This leads to poor weight shift, difficulty in balance reaction and Bilateral coordination. Indirectly, this will affect milestones.
How to correct W-sitting:-
If you notice your child is sitting in W-sitting for a long time, try to follow the instructions given below.
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