There is a wealth of research literature about the important role free movement plays in early childhood to foster appropriate motor, spatial, visual, behavioral and cognitive development. We rarely see this information, though, unless we seek it out -- with the exception of the occasional newspaper and magazine article or television program.

What we do see on an almost daily basis in the mass media, however, is the overabundance of advertising for baby equipment. It is appropriate perhaps that this advertising is targeted at parents, for the devices serve the needs of parents more than the needs of developing babies. They suggest convenience, ease of use, safety, fun, and the promise of improved learning but they rarely help our baby master the age appropriate abilities which are so vital to their development. In contrast to these colorful images, how boring it is to suggest that sometimes the best equipment is a pair of loving arms and a clean blanket on the rug where your baby can freely explore their own body.

Babies have to work hard to move that heavy head but doing so helps them develop strength and motor control. As they become interested in those visual objects who talk so sweetly to them, they turn their head to follow and learn to turn their eyes. If instead, the baby is seated at a comfortable angle in that beautiful all purpose baby seat with their head propped in place, they miss that opportunity to develop strength and learn control.

When babies have the opportunity to explore their body without restraint they expand that early head turn to include reaching out for the object at hand and eventually rolling over. If the desired object is not at hand and motor development has progressed appropriately, babies extend their reach by crawling and creeping.

Laura Sobell notes in her book "Save Your Baby: Throw Out Your Equipment"..."the excessive use of...modern conveniences such as infant seats, walkers, jumpers, swings and vertical baby carriers (back and front packs) is believed to delay normal development - not improve it. Teaching young infants to sit up by using pillows or seats can actually interfere with the development of normal rolling and crawling patterns. Walkers do not teach babies to walk, but can cause unnatural walking patterns, as well as inhibit crawling - a very valuable and much needed activity." The only time restrictive equipment makes sense is when necessary for the safety of the child.

Our baby's first movements are primitive reflexes such as turning their head in response to a touch on the cheek, sucking, thrashing movements when startled, changing arm and leg positions as their head is turned from side to side and so on. These early movement reflexes start them on the road to discovering how their body moves and feels. They explore movements again and again until the reflex is slowly modified and voluntary movement takes control. It is a step-by-step process where each level of body coordination is based upon what was learned before.

The ability to move freely during this stage provides the opportunity to develop strength and the knowledge and understanding of how their body works. Our baby must learn how to move, what part to move, where to move, why to move, when to move and when not to move. Hands become theirs to watch, grasp and release. Legs and feet become theirs to watch, feel and kick. Even when your baby is sleeping, they are practicing movement patterns and building strength. Does your baby ever really wake up exactly how you left them?

During the first three years babies learn about their body and their senses in a way that is unique to this phase and unmatched during all the rest of their years combined. They learn how to move and control their body, how it relates spatially to the world and objects around them. They explore their senses and learn how these objects feel, look, taste, sound, what they are named and where they are in relation to themselves and each other. They learn to recognize and understand the interrelationships of these different sensory experiences and begin to organize their world. In essence, they learn how to learn and lay the foundation from which all other understanding and experience will develop.

Babies who are frequently restrained in braces or casts - or that favorite swing, baby seat or walker - will be unintentionally limited in their opportunity to explore their body (head, hands, feet, legs) as well as the reflex motor patterns and general motor movements necessary for good visual-spatial-motor development. As parents and care providers, it is up to us to be sure that our infants have ample opportunity to develop these basic motor abilities. These are the foundation for movement, balance and eventually the control necessary for fine eye/hand manipulation, visualization and cognitive achievement.

Research suggests that how much and how well a person learns throughout life is determined largely by the variety of beneficial experiences to which they were exposed in the first years of life. It is up to us to arrange the conditions in which our children can learn.

What can we do to help our babies in their developmental quest? We can advocate for free movement opportunities and encourage developmentally appropriate activities to help our babies gain the most from their early