03 Aug Is your little one W-sitting all the timeWondering what’s the problem with W-sitting because don’t most children do it?

Is your little one W-sitting all the timeWondering what’s the problem with W-sitting because don’t most children do it?

On its own, W-sitting is actually not something you need to be too concerned about. The International Hip Dysplasia Institute shares that W-sitting is common at around age 3, but then naturally fades out of routine as children grow. If your child only sits in this position occasionally, it’s probably just a comfortable way to play or relax.

However, if W-sitting is the only way your child can sit in to play and they also have poor posture in sitting, trips and falls on their own feet frequently then W-sitting could be a sign of underlying issues of low muscle tone or muscle tightness. 

Here at My Favourite Physio, our Expert Paediatric Physiotherapists usually discourage W-sitting as it impacts negatively on a child’s development for the following reasons:

1. W-sitting tends to encourage turned in, turned out or pointed toe foot postures, this creates muscle imbalance in the lower leg and ankle ligamentous laxity over time. So when the child starts to walk, they tend to turn their feet in or out causing them to trip on their own feet more frequently, or they may tip toe walk as their calf muscles are shortened and tight.

2. W-sitting tends to cause tight muscles in the inner thigh, which pulls the thigh bone inwards more causing a child to have a more exaggerated knock kneed posture, affecting the knee and hip joint alignment. Over time, this can result in muscle imbalance in the leg causing knee and hip pain.

3. W-sitting tends to cause shortening in the hamstring and lower back muscles, pulling their pelvis backwards so they slouch in their lower back. This leads to poor posture, increased risk of low back pain and falls, along with decreased core muscle strength, balance and coordination.

Overall, it is best to provide your child a variety of sitting positions to play right from Day 1.

If you notice that your child is constantly W-sitting and also tends to trip and fall, reach out to My Favourite Physio on (02) 9790 4233 or DM us @myfavouritephysio to speak to one of our Expert Paediatric Physiotherapists today!