Do all babies crawl before they walk?
No. In two large studies, about 15 to 20 in 100 healthy babies didn't crawl on hands and knees before they walked.
What studies found
In a study of about 48,000 children in Norway, about 85 in 100 crawled on hands and knees before walking, and about 7 in 100 got around by shuffling on their bottom.
An earlier study found much the same: about 82 in 100 crawled on hands and knees. The rest shuffled on their bottom, crept on their tummy or rolled, and 7 in 100 went straight from standing to walking. Those who went straight to walking were the earliest walkers.
Bottom-shufflers tended to walk a little later. In Norway, they walked about a month later on average than babies who crawled on hands and knees.
What we don’t know yet
The studies we have read didn't look at whether skipping crawling makes any difference to how children do later on.
The studies
Read more: Walking on their own, Crawling
If you’re worried about your child, talk to your GP or child and family health nurse.