Have you ever noticed your kid sitting with their knees forward and feet spread out on either side of them?in other words, ?W? sitting" For years, the harm?or lack thereof?of this way of sitting, which seems particularly unnatural to adults, has been highly debated. Issues related to gait, like in-toeing, have been thought to be associated with the position. But is letting your kid ?W? sit really all that bad" Here?s what you need to know.
What is ?W? sitting"
?W? sitting, also referred to as the ?W? position, is ?the opposite of sitting cross-legged,? explains Charles Price, paediatric orthopaedic surgeon at the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando, Fla. It?s called this because the way the child sits resembles the letter W. Kids, particularly between the ages of two and eight years old, gravitate toward this position because it feels natural, says Price. When you?re young, your hips and thighs both tend to have an innate twist to them, which eventually ?untwists? as you get older.
?In newborns, the twist in the thigh bone is about 45 degrees,? explains Price, whereas in adults, it?s about 20 degrees. That?s why most kids who ?W? sit will eventually grow out of it by the age of 10. Sitting in the ?W? position won?t prevent kids from growing out of this twist.
Is ?W? sitting bad for kids"
Sitting in the ?W? position is a fairly common concern among parents, says Timothy Carey, paediatric orthopaedic surgeon with the Children?s Hospital at Londo...