Infant Development and Rolling Over

Most parents are eager for their infants to learn how to become mobile. Rolling over is one of the first ways an infant learns to move around. Once infants learn to roll over, they may use this method of mobility to get to a desired toy. Later, infants move on to crawling and then walking as their preferred method of movement.

Head Control

• Infants must first develop head control before rolling over. Also, they must be able to push up their head and chest with their arms while on their tummy.

Rolling from Tummy to Back

• Infants first roll from their tummy to their back sometime between the ages of 2 and 3 months. Infants may accidentally roll over earlier than that, but generally they won't intentionally roll over until at least 2 months.

Rolling from Back to Tummy

• Infants need stronger back and neck muscles to be able to roll from their back to their tummy. Typically, infants learn to roll from their back to their tummy sometime between 5 and 6 months.

Bypassing the Rolling Stage

• Some infants may bypass the rolling method of mobility and go straight to crawling instead.

When to Worry

• If an infant hasn't rolled over by 6 months and hasn't tried to get around some other way, the caregiver should consult a pediatrician.