25/08/2026
A baby’s brain undergoes an incredible amount of development in the first few years of life. By around age 2, the brain is approximately 80% of its adult size.
But brain development isn’t just about getting bigger. During this time, the brain is rapidly building and strengthening connections, and movement provides important sensory information that helps shape those developing pathways.
This is one of the reasons we think it’s so important to look at how babies are moving, functioning and progressing through their developmental milestones.
Every time a baby turns their head, reaches, kicks, rolls, pushes up through their arms, sits or crawls, their brain is receiving information from their body.
Ideally, we want plenty of movement and sensory input coming from both sides of the body.
For example, if a baby has reduced neck movement and consistently struggles to turn their head to one side, we may see some of the more obvious effects like a head preference, tight muscles or developing a flat spot on one side of the head.
We also want to think about how this might affect their movement and development.
If a baby is consistently looking, reaching, rolling or moving more easily to one side, they may be getting different movement and sensory experiences on each side of their body.
That’s why when we assess babies, we’re not only looking at whether they can achieve a milestone. We’re looking at how they’re doing it, whether they can move comfortably in both directions and whether both sides of their body are getting opportunities to move, explore and develop.
If your baby is favouring one side, struggling to meet their milestones or you’re simply curious to check in and see how they’re doing, book an assessment today. 🤍
📍 Paediatric Chiropractor Malvern East