Previously, W-sitting was used to be correlated with hip dysplasia, which is the name of the disease caused by abnormal hip joint formation. But the good news is, recent studies have indicated that there is no relationship between W-sitting and hip dysplasia. So for parents, it is clear that their child might not be dealing with such an issue for now.
But child therapists suggest that parents not allow their children to sit in a W pattern. Now the question is: is it harmful or normal, and what is W-sitting in children? This is what we are about to discuss in this article.
What is W-sitting in Children?
It is also known as reverse tailor sitting or frog sitting. W-sitting is when a child sits on their bottom with their knees bent inwards and feet outside their hips. Toddlers usually choose this position, as it is comfortable for them during playtime. It offers them a strong base to keep their body stable without putting effort on their muscles. Not just that, children with less core or trunk strength also prefer to sit in this position for the same purpose.
If your child child move in different positions while playing and does not choose this particular position while sitting, then there is nothing to worry about. But if the pattern is consistent, this might be a sign of motor-related issues.
W-sitting: Causes That You Need To Know
- Poorly developed postural muscles:As the wide base serves as a base of support, a child stops using their core and trunk strength; consequently, over time, and it can lead to poorly developed postural muscles that will later be responsible for developing good posture during desk work, climbing, and writing.
- Limited trunk rotation: Since W-sitting implies that the child sits in a manner that allows them not to turn towards the opposite side to reach the body, the position is characterised by coordination of movement of the two sides of the body and development of the two sides of the brain. As they don’t use their core muscles as much, they don’t develop them properly either.
- Tightness of hip and leg muscles: The tightness of hamstrings, hip, and Achilles tendon muscles is caused by hip abduction and external rotation due to wide-base sitting.
- Difficulties in switching to different postures:Sitting in the W-sitting position makes it difficult to switch to other postures, including sitting, crawling, and kneeling.
- Changes to the leg bones: W-sitting can cause intoeing because this position causes the thigh bone and lower leg bone to twist inward. Femoral torsion, tibial torsion, joint stress, and muscle tightness are common causes that lead to intoeing issues.
- Motor skill issues: Core strength is the one that gives support and stability and helps to control movement and posture. If the muscles are not properly developed, that means it leads to developmental issues.
- Arthritis: It can cause major hip, knee, and ankle joint problems. And yes, even your child can develop early arthritis because their joints did not develop according to biomechanical positioning.
What should you Do about this?
- Encourage your child to sit in different positions like criss-cross, kneeling, squatting, both legs bent with feet touching, both feet on the same side while knees bent, or legs straight out in front.
- Rather than telling them to fix their sitting pattern, practice the other pattern with them. For them, this will be like a game, and they can easily indulge with you.
- If your child can, practice some yoga with them. This is a good habit, as it will help them to relax their leg muscle, and also protect your child from w-sitting.
- Promote floor play, which includes puzzles or active sitting posture; this will help you to learn about their sitting pattern, and you can also improve this also.
- If your child is old enough to understand things, then let them know why this is not good for them, and what impact it can have on their legs.
Is it connected to developmental disabilities?
By now, you may have come across autism and its connection with w-sitting. Firstly, there is no correlation between w-sitting and autism, but yes, autistic children tend to sit in this position. That is why these are linked with each other.
W-sitting happens in autistic children because they have lower muscle tone, decreased trunk control, and a weak core, and this is the only reason that they prefer to sit in this position. So if your child only prefers to sit in a W pattern but does not have any neurological symptoms, this does not conclude that your child is also dealing with autism spectrum disorder. This might be because they become too comfortable with this position, have less core strength, or for other reasons.
Impacts of W-sitting
It can affect them in several ways, including:
- As their ankles rotate externally, this can cause musculoskeletal problems like tenderness in the tibialis anterior or muscle tightness.
- Hip distortion and muscle imbalance are among the impacts and can affect their gait pattern and strength.
- It can also impact weight distribution in the body and neutral alignment, leading to issues with compensatory movements.
- If the alignment of the body is impacted, it will lead to poor growth of the toe muscles.
- Basic cross-body movements like crawling, reaching across the body, shifting trunk here and there, rotation, or bending down are crucial for everyone. But w-sitting can create problems in these movements because they are unable to move the pelvis and trunk.
What to do: Contact Cradle Children Hospital
Start with improving your child’s sitting posture at home. As a parent, it is really hard to know that your child is dealing with a developmental issue. But your one right decision can prevent long-term problems. The next step is visiting Cradle Children Hospital is the right decision, because a physiotherapist can help you to improve movement and posture problems. They have years of expertise in this field and know how to handle a child. Even if your child is introverted, nothing to worry about; child physiotherapists know how to communicate with children so that they can resolve the issue without compromising their comfort.
Not just this, but if you have any concerns about your child’s health or even yours, contact us!
Book your consultation!
