Feedback on and reflections on the ergonomics of baby carriers and the child’s motor development.

In online texts about ergonomics and baby carriers, the terms “ergonomics” and “ergonomic” are used without clearly specifying how the child’s body rapidly develops during the first year of life and what is considered ergonomic at 3 months is likely not the same at 8 months. There is often a lack of description of how the child in the baby carrier should be able to switch between being active and resting by independently changing positions.

The tasks that arise in discussions about baby carriers and ergonomics are surprising, including the idea of striving for a “C-curve” of the spine up to 10 months of age, as well as the emphasis on avoiding hip dislocation even when the risk is almost non-existent.

Why this emphasis when the risk of hip dislocation usually does not occur at 3 months of age, especially if the child has learned to crawl? Usually, already after two to three months of age, there is little risk of hip dislocation. It is unclear from literature on websites whether manufacturers consider there to be a risk of hip injuries with “incorrect use” regardless of the child’s age. When you have an extremely wide hip position and the knees are at the same height as the buttocks, you need to consider the child’s age. When the child has good strength in the back, the knees may need to be lowered relative to the buttocks for the child to achieve a good pelvic position and a straight strong back.

A C-shaped back combined with the lack of head support is negative – a C-shaped back is a resting position where head support should be provided. When the child holds their head on their own, it should build a pillar of the body where the eyes look straight ahead and the neck is straight. A rounded back leads to weakness and a forward-leaning neck in an unnatural position.

A newborn baby has a C-shaped back and is often in a resting position close to the parent.

At three months of age, the baby has acquired a straighter back compared to when they were newborn, as well as control and balance of head movements. The baby starts using their hands to grasp objects. The activity level increases, and the baby begins to explore objects and communicate more.

An 8 month old baby is strong, can move around, and sit up on their own. They usually don’t want to stay in a resting position for too long. At this age, when a child is actively carried, they should not have a rounded back but rather a straight back with the head in line or slightly in front of it. Leaning back becomes too passive except when the child is resting. He or she should be able to switch between resting and being active.

A baby carrier should strive to resemble the way one naturally carries a child in their arms and address the baby’s needs for movement and development. A newborn baby is held against the adult’s body with their stomach facing the adult’s body in a resting position. A three- to five month old baby alternates between resting and being active. When aiming for active head control, we strive for a “pillar” posture rather than the C-shaped back of a newborn. When the child is upright, they support themselves using the muscles in their neck and back, and the child’s center of gravity is positioned above their support base. If the child sits with a rounded back, the center of gravity shifts behind the support base, making it difficult to control body movements because the child becomes weaker, “collapses,” and “falls backward.” It is important to position the child so that as they grow older, they can change positions and alternate between being active with a straight back and good balance, and resting securely against you as a parent. Often, larger infants from around 4-7 months sit on the parent’s hip and are carried with lower support as the child controls their own head and torso. An even older child is carried in various ways, facing forward, sitting on the hip, or being carried over the shoulder. In addition to the neck and eyes, it becomes important for the child to have a good pelvic position as they grow older. In an active position, the pelvis should be in a neutral position or slightly tilted forward. A backward-tipped pelvis leads to a rounded back and weakness. There are carriers where you can have a flat seat or a small cushion that helps the pelvis maintain a good position, avoiding tipping backward.

A position that occurs with a baby carrier is when older children are carried on the parent’s back. There is a difference between being forward-facing on the parent’s back and being forward-facing on the parent’s stomach. When the child is carried high on the back, so that the face is at the level of the adult’s head, the child can alternate between having a straight back and actively looking around and resting by laying their head against the parent’s back. In the forward-facing carrier, the child’s legs dangle and often hit against the parent’s legs. The child finds it difficult to support themselves with their arms, and it’s also challenging to lean back and rest. Carrying the child on the parent’s back makes forward-facing carrying natural – as long as the child is carried high enough. If the child is carried low – with its head at the level of the parent’s shoulder blades or back, the child cannot look straight ahead but needs to constantly look sideways. The child sits with a rounded back and cannot change its position. Therefore, it is better to carry high on the back.

A disadvantage of having the child on the back is a lack of eye contact. At the same time, an older child can more easily express their needs through sounds and movements when eye contact is not possible, depending on the child’s personality.