All humans are born with the innate ability to move. “Newborn stepping”, is a reflex infants have when they are held upright or when their feet are touching the ground. This movement essentially imitates walking. But researchers began to wonder if newborn stepping is actually just a reflex or if it’s a set up for independent walking.
In an experiment, the muscular activity in 46 newborns and 10 toddlers were tested. Newborn stepping is very simple: only two patterns of muscle activation are needed to deliver the entire muscle movement used in newborn stepping. The muscle patterns are connected to the supporting weight when the baby’s foot makes contact with the floor (also known as midstance). The other movement is related to the swing phase of walking. When toddlers start to cruise, they maintain these movements from their newborn days.
In conclusion, the newborn stepping movements have become the foundation for independent walking. A baby is born with an innate ability to walk, much like they are born with an innate ability to move around and crawl. Parents can help their babies facilitate newborn stepping. Though the baby needs to develop its brain and physical strength on its own, a parent can help by encouraging their baby to move around and use its muscles.
