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0–5 monthsGross Motor (physical culture)

stays in a flexed position, with arms and knees tucked into their abdomen

Observe whether the child: stays in a flexed position, with arms and knees tucked into their abdomen

What it looks like

Three ways this behaviour shows up as a child grows. Each level includes everyday moments to watch for.

Emerging

Just starting

Your baby sometimes curls into a tucked position with arms or knees drawn in, especially when resting or being held, but does not stay that way consistently.

What you might see

  • Arms or knees tuck toward the abdomen briefly, then stretch out again.
  • The curled position appears more when the baby is calm or being held.

Expected

On track

Your baby stays in a flexed position, with arms and knees tucked into their abdomen, as a clear and reliable body posture during observation.

What you might see

  • Arms are flexed and held close to the body.
  • Knees are tucked toward the abdomen.
  • The baby stays in the flexed, tucked position long enough to observe clearly.

Exceeding

Going further

Your baby naturally returns to this flexed, tucked posture across different daily situations, such as resting, being held, or after gentle movement.

What you might see

  • The baby returns to the tucked position after being repositioned gently.
  • The same flexed posture is seen during several routines, such as resting, holding, and diaper changes.

Try this at home

Small everyday moments where you can notice this behaviour without setting up anything special.

  • When your baby is lying on their back, notice whether their arms and knees stay tucked toward their abdomen.

  • After you gently reposition your baby, watch whether they curl back into a flexed position.

  • During quiet holding time, notice whether their body stays curled and tucked.

Where this comes from

The dataset source and any supporting developmental research.

Dataset source

  • Stenhaug, B., Ram, N., & Frank, M. C. (2021). The Stanford SHQ: A measure of early developmental milestones.

    This item directly reflects the SHQ prompt about staying in a flexed position with arms and knees tucked into the abdomen.

Developmental research

  • Dubowitz, L., Mercuri, E., & Dubowitz, V. (1998). An optimality score for the neurologic examination of the term newborn. The Journal of Pediatrics, 133(3), 406-416.

    Early neurological assessment commonly observes infant posture, flexion, and tone as part of motor development.