Why It's Totally Fine to Let Your Kid Sit in the 'W' Position
Recently, a story about the dangers of kids sitting in the 'W' position went viral, catching the attention of parents everywhere.
The gist: While sitting in this position under the age of two is likely safe, according to some reports, if this position becomes a go-to after age two, it can negatively impact a child's overall development, so it's best to encourage kids to change their on-the-ground positioning.
But not *everyone* is in agreement about that—and many experts say that the idea that sitting in the 'W' position can cause postural, orthopedic, or muscular problems down the line is little more than a dated myth. Here, a little bit behind the 'W' position itself, whether or not it's truly harmful, and what to do if you find your child seated this way.
What the 'W' Position Is
The 'W' sitting position might remind you of hero pose in yoga. More or less, it's a position where a child's bum is on the ground and their legs and knees are in front of them splayed out to the sides.
It's most commonly seen in toddlers, though some kids sit in this position until eight or nine. But why do children sit like this? Part of the reason may be anatomical. It's common for children to be born with their femurs (or thigh bones) turned in, a condition called femoral anteversion.
"The reality is that most of us have femoral anteversion — it's excessive femoral anteversion that allows kids to sit in the 'W' position," says Greg Hahn, M.D., a pediatric orthopaedist at Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital.
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Why Docs Once Thought Kids Sitting in the 'W' Position Was Dangerous
Old-school thinking among orthopedists in the 1960s and 1970s said that intoeing, or having your toes point inward when you walk, was a muscular or soft tissue issue — and that it was possible to train kids not to do it, explains Dr. Hahn. By having kids avoid positions like the 'W' sitting position, the thinking was that you'd avoid stretching out the muscles, which was what was allowing them to continue to intoe.
But research, notably by pediatric orthopedist Lynn Staheli, M.D., then found that intoeing was simply a normal variation (much like being tall or left-handed) — and something that self-resolves without any treatment (read: a changing of position or braces).
Plus, if you watch people walk, you'll notice most don't do so in a perfect, straight ahead line — most people toe in or out a bit and in children, it's just more pronounced, says Dr. Hahn.
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The True Effects of the 'W' Position
In short, while the myth that you have to avoid the 'W' position might live on, Dr. Hahn says "the position doesn't cause any long-term problems so we don't worry about it."
Dr. Hahn also notes that he's unaware of any study linking the position to osteoarthritis issues.
Furthermore, "research by the International Hip Dysplasia Institute and others has shown that increased Femoral anteversion does not cause hip dislocations and does not harm the hip socket," says Charles T "Chad" Price, M.D., a pediatric orthopedist and medical director of the International Hip Dysplasia Institute.
He adds that if children do have femoral anteversion, 'W' sitting can be more comfortable and should be allowed. "Spontaneous correction occurs with growth in almost all cases." While intoeing is very common in young children, it's rarely seen in adults regardless of sitting habits, he says.
Your takeaway: No need to tell your child to change positions if you see them sitting in the 'W' position.
"It's no different than having a kid sit 'criss-cross applesauce'. It's not a problem. It's not bad posture where you have to encourage a kid not to sit that way,'" says Dr. Hahn.
Comments (8)
I'm glad to find out it's not a big deal to let kids sit in the w-sit position. I have been w-sitting since I was 5. Now I am 46 and w-sitting is the most comfortable position to it in. Since I was 5 it was uncomfortable and it hurt to sit in any other positions so that is why I sit this way. I am not double jointed nor very flexible at all but I can sit in the w-sit position for long periods of time with no pain or discomfort. I tried just for kicks and giggles to see if I could sit criss-cross applesauce and it was just too painful. So I went right back to the w-sit position and immediately the pain went away and the comfort came back. Maybe I have been sitting like this for so long My body just got too used to it. But it did cause my knees over time to look like they were bent inward in a weird way. My legs bend a lot like the Japanese girls legs bend from sitting this way. And sometimes my feet turn inwards when I walk. So I guess this could be from only sitting in the w-sit position when I sit down.
Read MoreAs an Occupational Therapist for over 30 years, I have taken many years of continuing education and many times I return to the basics from my education and early in my career. I still recommend correcting W sitting, especially with children, who already have physical deficits or general weakness. If you’re child has been developing in the normal developmental stages and isn’t W sitting constantly, I agree it probably won’t have detrimental effects on their growth.
Read MoreGlad to know it's totally not bad to sit this way as a child. I started sitting this way when I was six. I could never sit any other way without pain and discomfort. So I made this the only way I sat all the way up to the present day. I am 46 and I still find w-sitting the most relaxing and comfortable way to sit. I am not very flexible at all but I can sit in the w-sit position at any time for long periods of time with no pain at all. I know it's weird but at my age w-sitting is so super comfy and relaxing. I don't know why it feels good to sit this way when other adults my age cannot sit like this without lots of pain but I can't sit any other way. Go figure!
Read MoreI want to see citations for this. As a physical therapist, I am completely shocked by this misinformation. It is detrimental to children's development to consistently sit in this position. It creates a wider base of support than normal, which causes children not to use their trunk musculature for stability. This can significantly delay other milestones & cause low tone in the trunk muscles which is very concerning. I cannot believe this type of article even exists in 2021, did you even consult a physical therapist? Doctors know little to nothing about the interplay of the musculoskeletal and neuromuscular systems and how that affects developmental milestones. They are absolutely not the experts, that would be a doctor of physical therapy.
Read MoreI want to see citations for this. As a physical therapist, I am completely shocked by this misinformation. It is detrimental to children's development to consistently sit in this position. It creates a wider base of support than normal, which causes children not to use their trunk musculature for stability. This can significantly delay other milestones & cause low tone in the trunk muscles which is very concerning. I cannot believe this type of article even exists in 2021, did you even consult a physical therapist? Doctors know little to nothing about the interplay of the musculoskeletal and neuromuscular systems and how that affects developmental milestones. They are absolutely not the experts, that would be a doctor of physical therapy.
Read MoreFix W-sitting position WBANDAGE reinforce correct pelvic joint positioning, enhance training of leg muscles function and assist with forming the walking reflex for children with cerebral palsy and everyone who needs. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08GLLVLLB?ref=myi_title_dp
Read MoreIt is totally not fine. Please any parents reading this post, check with your pediatrician on the flawed research used here.
Read MoreThis is complete misinformation. You should be ashamed of yourselves as such a far reaching parent resource. Did you actually do the research that this topic requires? You interviewed orthopedic doctors. Did you actually reach out to any pediatric physical or occupational therapists who actually works daily year after year with kiddos affected long-term by W-sitting? There are so many long term effects of sustained W-sitting that pediatric orthopedic doctors would never see and adult orthopedic doctors would just treat with surgery such as arthritis/malalignment injury of the hips/knee/ankles. There is also a higher risk of injury associated with kiddos who may have hip/knee laxity that allows them to fall into the W-sitting position. There is a difference between neurotypical kiddos who transition in and out of W-sitting easily and those who have global issues and that W-sit is a classic sign that something else needs to be addressed and the child's development is going to be impacted. You are absolutely doing a disservice to parents out there who are dealing with W-sitting in their child and who are looking for any excuse to stop listening to their hardworking therapists who are trying to prevent these long term orthopedic issues/injuries from coming up years down the road. Please do your research before broadly publishing something that could negatively impact an entire generation of children. Do you know that the entire online pediatric physical therapy community is aghast at this article and what it claims? Outgrowing in-toeing? That's like saying a child would outgrow low muscle tone. Do NOT make such a sweeping generalized statement about all children. Did you even read the rest of the research by the Hip Dysplasia Institute where it cautions against such positions? Please redact this article or modify it to say that parents should continue to listen to their medical professionals who actually see and work with their individual child in person as opposed to believe a poorly-researched fluff piece on a parenting website. Once again, you should be ASHAMED of yourself for undoing our years of hardworking pediatric developmental experience and parent education in one ridiculous article. -Outraged Pediatric Physical Therapist
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