When babies are approximately 6-10 months old, they master the art of crawling. When toddlers are on all fours they become a lot more active, begin to satisfy their curiosity and engage in activities that boost their gross motor skills.

RELATED: Scraped Knee? What To Say To Toddlers When They Get Hurt To Validate Their Feelings

Crawling, however, may leave your little one with bruises and scrapes on his or her knees. Your child's knees may become bloody, sore, and irritated, and for this reason, parents wonder whether or not to invest in baby knee pads.

What Are Baby Knee Pads?

Just like the name suggests, baby knee pads are thick padded materials designed to protect your baby's knees while offering maximum comfort. Since toddlers hurt their knees because their skin is soft and sensitive, knee pads protect against injuries. These knee pads come in various sizes and can be used by babies as young as four months.

Do Babies Need Baby Knee Pads?

The answer is no and yes. Baby specialists advise against using baby knee pads. They argue that when a child is crawling, they develop proprioception depth. Proprioception refers to having a sense of body position and self-movement. Sometimes it is referred to as a sixth sense. The ability to detect your feet are walking on gravel or soft grass when your eyes are closed is proprioception. When babies crawl around with their hands and feet, they get to feel the ground, but when baby knee pads come into play, they interfere with this sense.

Also, babies do not hurt as much as adults when crawling. Remember, toddlers at 6-10 months don't have kneecaps. Instead, they have cartilages that are softer and more flexible. The cartilages make it easy for the baby to learn crawling and provide an easy transition. It's only when your child is age 2-6 that the cartilage begins to develop into bone.

What if you feel the need to use baby knee pads? Well, you are the parent, and no one has a right to criticize how you choose to raise your child. So, if you feel the bruises and sore knees are too much for your crawling baby, you can look into purchasing baby knee pads.

Besides, knee protection is a must for children with cerebral palsy, hemophilia, spina bifida, muscular dystrophy, or other disabilities. Parents with slow-developing babies should also invest in knee pads because their children will spend more time learning how to crawl.

How To Protect Your Baby's Knees

  • Invest in 100% cotton pants. Unlike synthetic fibers that may irritate his skin, cotton pants are soft, comfortable, and will protect the baby's knees from injury.
  • Put blankets down on hard surfaces. The carpet, too, could be brutal on your baby's sensitive skin. Having a blanket on these hard surfaces will protect your baby from irritating his knees.
  • Don't let your baby crawl on gravel, cement, marble, or any hard surface.
  • Purchase baby knee protectors. You could buy leg warmers or baby knee pads. Leg warmers are knee-high and soft to protect against abrasion. You can also use your wrist sweatbands on your baby's knees for added thickness.
  • Purchase a cream for any chaffing. If chaffing is causing your baby pain, a diaper rash cream can help soothe the pain. It will also protect your toddler from further chaffing. If the diaper rash cream fails, you can talk to your pediatrician to prescribe an over-the-counter cream.

NEXT: Do Babies Lose Weight When They Start Crawling?

Sources: Knee Bees, First Cry Parenting, First Cry Parenting, Healthline.