W - sitting position in kids.;

Concern or not a concern.;

I often notice Aarav sitting in this position and ask him to change it instantly. I have noticed quite a lot of other kids too do it. I've done a fair bit of research on the same and am sharing the same notes with my co mom's. It's not a myth and it's definitely a concern which needs to be addressed.;

What is W-sitting?
W-sitting;is a sitting position in which children sit with;knees bent, feet tucked under,;bottom resting on the floor between their legs, and legs out to either side. The child’s knees may be close to touching or may be splayed apart. Parents and therapists usually notice children W-sitting between ages 3 to 6, but you may also observe it with younger or older children.
3 Common W-Sitting Misconceptions Debunked.
Misconception #1:;It doesn’t cause any long-term effects.;There is no excessive stress on a child’s joints, muscles or knees in the W position, because kids know how to avoid pain in their bodies.
While your kiddo may find it more comfortable to sit in a W and will naturally avoid painful positions, W-sitting is usually a pattern that is used whenever the child is sitting on the floor. Over time,;undeveloped bones and joints are affected by the routine stress on the hip and legs.
Misconception #2:;It’s more stable than other sitting positions.
W sitting;can be;a more stable sitting position;for children.;However, this is because;in the W pose, children do not have to work quite as hard to engage their core and hold their trunks upright. Instead, they;spread their lower limbs to create a wider base of support, relying on their joint structures (and not their muscles) to hold them up.;In this position, the muscles are not stabilizing the hip joints. This causes increased posterior pelvic tilt (the;front of the pelvis rises and the back of the pelvis drops), which can result in poor sitting posture, decreased core activation, reduced trunk rotation, and delayed fine motor development.
Due to the wide base of support utilized in the W-sitting position,;less core;muscle; activation is required to stay upright. This wide base also limits a child’s need to weight shift on their bottom from side to side during play, resulting in decreased use of balance responses. This lack of activation causes a cycle of muscle weakness, resulting in difficulty integrating the left and right sides of the body, leading to decreased coordination. These impairments can lead to;decreased play involving crossing over the body’s midline;and;poor progress with high-level fine motor tasks using two hands.
Misconception #3:;“I sat like this all my life and;I’ve never had any problems because of it.”
According to Rebecca Cohen, DPT, PT, increasing the inward rotation of the hip while decreasing the outward range of motion can contribute to a;pigeon-toed gait;pattern. This walking pattern is correlated with excessive tripping, clumsiness, instability when walking and running, and decreased balance and body awareness.
Another joint abnormality that occurs is called;tibial torsion, which is the outward rotation of the lower leg. While standing, this type of torsion causes the foot to turn outward and the knee to turn inward. This position can be painful. It also influences walking and running mechanics. With the foot facing outward, the last point of contact when walking becomes the outside ridge of the foot, which leads to abnormal gait mechanics. Walking can become tiring, slower, and painful. Children may also experience foot pain because of flattening arches. If untreated, adults can experience tight iliotibial (IT) bands, knee arthritis, and/or hip and back pain.
You might be wondering, when to start worrying and correcting. I would from the very day you notice your child doing it. I always correct my boy to change his posture. I usually ensure he sits with his legs stretched out and or sit in the folded leg style like we Indians do normally. Incase you feel the need to meet a physician and understand the situation. In fact in a recent birthday party, I noticed a 6 year old in the same seating posture when I addressed it, the mother of the kid went on to tell me it's "vajraasana" . Please be aware of the asannas and understand that their postures and reflections are way different.;
Hope this post helps, this reading material was extracted from various articles and studies posted on internet. It's my personal experience with my son on a daily basis, that made me do this research and share the information.;