W-SITTING IN CHILDHOOD: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW.

Area of Science:

• Pediatric physical therapy
• Child development
• Musculoskeletal health

Background:

• W-sitting is a common sitting posture in children.
• Concerns exist among specialists and non-specialists regarding potential harm from W-sitting.
• There is a perceived lack of science-based evidence to support these concerns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review the existing scientific literature on W-sitting.
• To identify evidence supporting or refuting claims of W-sitting being detrimental to children.
• To investigate the association between W-sitting and hip dysplasia.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search conducted in January 2023 across multiple databases (PubMed, Medline, Embase, PEDro, Cochrane).
• Search terms included "W-sitting" and variations.
• Articles were screened for relevance, duplicates removed, and methodologically sound studies selected for analysis.

Main Results:

• Seven studies were included after initial screening of 3641 articles.
• Methodological limitations were noted in several included studies.
• No causal relationship was found between W-sitting and developmental dysplasia of the hip.
• Muscular activation was found to be similar regardless of sitting position.

Conclusions:

• The review found no scientific evidence to advise against W-sitting in children.
• No association was identified between W-sitting and hip dysplasia.
• Muscular activation is not significantly affected by sitting position.