Babies who are unable to crawl at nine months face falling behind at school and struggle to get on with their classmates, a study has revealed.

It found that an inability to reach milestones such as sitting upright or crawling is linked to learning and behaviour problems.

The researchers, who tracked 15,000 children over the first five years of their lives, said a simple screening test before a child reaches their first birthday could prove crucial in preventing youngsters falling behind.

The finding comes from the Millennium Cohort Study, which is looking at 18,818 babies born between 2000 and 2001.

The study by the University of London, Institute of Education, has already shown children from poor families are a year behind their wealthier counterparts when they start school.

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