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Early Hand preference- advice needed

22 replies

Gil84 · 17/10/2019 16:56

Hi,
I’m a FTM and my DD is 3.5 months old. She is showing a preference for her left hand this past month or so; she sucks her left hand, can hold a small rattle in her left hand and is starting to swipe at toys with her left also. She can move her right arm ok but doesn’t seem to use it as much as her left and can’t hold a rattle for as long in this hand. I’m worried sick as everything I read online suggests early handedness could signal Cerebal Palsy- does anyone have any experience of this?

OP posts:
MissSmiley · 17/10/2019 17:05

My youngest is left handed but we didn't notice until about 9 months when she was definitely swooping toys into her left hand
Sorry not very helpful probably

MissSmiley · 17/10/2019 17:05

*swopping not swooping

bobstersmum · 17/10/2019 17:11

I wouldn't have ever thought it had anything to do with cerebral palsy! You can diagnose yourself with anything on Google. My dd is only 2 and a half but she's definitely left handed, I can remember realising early but can't remember how early sorry!

Interested in this thread?

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AllFourOfThem · 17/10/2019 17:13

I was convinced DD1 was left handed until she turned three and then it became apparent she was right handed.

Does your baby have any symptoms of cerebral palsy and was anything picked up during the newborn hospital check, six week HV and GP checks?

Gil84 · 17/10/2019 17:52

No other symptoms apart from the hand preference and nothing observed during the 6 week check with GP. The HV was out today and said we should observe for another month or so to see how she goes. Have also made an apt with GP for next week to see what she says.

OP posts:
Mac47 · 17/10/2019 18:22

My dc is totally left dominant. Day she was born left thumb went in her mouth, she fed herself with her left hand and reached for everything with her left. She can do things bilaterally (although cutlery is tricky even now) but she is as rubbish with her right as I am with my left. Definitely no CP!

Witchend · 17/10/2019 18:32

It can be a sign of cerebral palsy, and I think you are right to get it checked, because if she has mild CP then early intervention will help.
She clearly doesn't have it badly or other signs would be there, so it might just be, as someone I know, that their left side is very slightly weaker than the other, and you almost never notice, and they only notice on occasional activities.

However the chances are that she just is using her left hand more. She might even change! Dd1 was noted down as left handed in her preschool notes. She definitely isn't.

I'm very ambidextrous. I didn't choose a dominant hand until I was 7 or 8yo. My dsis was very right handed and they did query CP with her, but if she does have it, it's never caused an issue.

AlanThePig · 17/10/2019 19:56

DS was left dominant from day one. Had a nightmare weaning him as all the curved cutlery at the time was aimed firmly at right handed babies. My lovely FIL took half a dozen teaspoons in the garage and bent them for him.
Anyway, he's now a strapping 26 year old leftie.

Try not to worry too much for now, mention it to your HV perhaps. I was told constantly that DS was far too young to show a preference, though thankfully I think thats changed somewhat now.

OldMotherHubbardsBigBottom · 17/10/2019 23:54

2 of my 3 children are lefties. And like previous posters, showed a singular preference from birth. Eg first toy grabbed with left hand, first wave, even that stage when they first notice their hands? Yup, the left one.

No CP. This was never even mentioned at the time- and they are still little so ita bot that long ago- but your HV is being thorough which is exactly what s/he should be doing.

I know it's easy to say don't worry, so I won't, but good luck x

OldMotherHubbardsBigBottom · 17/10/2019 23:54

*it’s not that long ago. Soz.

Rockbird · 18/10/2019 00:09

DD1 was a firm left handed from the time she first reached for a teether. CP was never mentioned and she's only 11 so not decades ago.

Gil84 · 16/11/2019 12:27

Thanks for all your comments. Took DD to see a Consultant orthopaedic surgeon and paediatrician and they said they can see what I am talking about- she does seem to have a weaker grasp in the right hand and she moves the right arm less from the shoulder. However, they didn't seem that concerned re CP and said that they will refer her for some physio to see if that helps. Still worried about CP and feel that we are playing a "wait and see" game here. I feel awful as I know I am not enjoying my DD as I should be as I am constantly obsessing over how she is moving her arms and hands

OP posts:
bbb2019 · 05/03/2020 14:38

How’s you little one Gil?

JoshLymanIsHotterThanSam · 05/03/2020 16:59

I have 4 dcs...all 4 showed early preference for dominant hand...I could tell you which hand they preferred by 4 months old (and I was on the money each time)...not one of them has CP.

ELW85 · 09/09/2020 09:23

@Gil84 - can I ask what happened with your LO?

Thingsarel00kingup · 09/09/2020 11:06

If this is the only 'symptom' of CP then PLEASE try not to worry...my oldest has mild CP, finally diagnosed at age 3, after seeing GP, paeds, physio etc who just thought they were a chilled and lazy baby! They didn't meet other milestones at the recognised times, rolling over, crawling etc but it is very mild. Early intervention helped, they are only affected physically, walking took a bit longer to get, mobility still a bit of an issue although they are all grown up now and living 'normally' - driving, job, socialising etc, you wouldn't know apart from a slight limp.
When it was first mentioned it really scared me, so I do understand, but if your DC does have mild CP it will be ok. More severe CP would have been picked up earlier as it causes feeding difficulties (and can often be due to being extremely premature)
Hope this helps to calm your fears and concerns.

ELW85 · 10/09/2020 15:59

@Thingsarel00kingup - when you say feeding difficulties, they would be from the start wouldn’t it?
I’m worried DS has a slight hand preference and he’s recently started getting fussy on his bottles but he had been draining 7oz

novicemumof2 · 28/08/2021 10:13

Hi @Gil84 - I have similar concerns regarding my 3.5 months old DS.We are waiting for an appointment with neuro.
Do you mind telling how your little one got on please?

ELW85 · 02/09/2021 21:05

@novicemumof2 - I know I’m not OP but I had similar concerns about my DS and happy to say he evened out and has been seen by a neuro and physios, paeds etc and was cleared of any CP.

EwaLilith · 02/09/2021 21:17

My girl have similar issue but she keeps her hand close in fist most of the time.Can't pick up toys. We was referred to pediatrician but earliest appointment is when she will 9 months old, she is 7 months now and was referred at 6 months. I feel physically sick that we have to wait so long, I'm sure there is something wrong but heath visitor refused to ever see us, GP referred after phone consultation, feel like we are loosing time and her development suffer. Feel like I'm failing her.

MarieVanGoethem · 03/09/2021 02:50

@EwaLilith

If you’ve not already done so I think maybe you should start your own thread so that you can get advice & support, because people are quite likely to miss you in amongst things here. If you’ve done that I’m sure that at this distance in time - & particularly in these circumstances - @Gil84 wouldn’t mind you posting a link here to a thread of your own just to try to ensure you catch as many people as possible.

Please don’t feel you’re failing your DD - you’ve done exactly the right thing by seeking a referral. Flowers
Have you a partner/is your DD’s father involved in her care & upbringing? Sorry, that feels like a terribly rude question to ask, but if so, it’s important you get to the habit of asking yourself: “Am/would I blame Other Parent for This Thing? If not, why not?” Not that “blame” is a particularly helpful model really - but it’s really important, even if you’re primary caregiver, not to let yourself get tangled up in trying to claim [sole] responsibility for anything/everything less-than-good that happens to your DD. You just don’t have that kind of power; & you run the risk of actually failing your DD in some way if you’re focused on castigating yourself for things you’ve convinced yourself you’ve done wrong.

Have you contacted Scope &/or looked at their resources at all? You might find their forum useful & they may be able to advise if there’s anything you can do while you wait (some disability charities offer - limited - medical advice via helpline services). As far as the wait goes, if you’d be able to attend an appointment at short notice it’s perfectly reasonable to contact paeds & ask to be put on the list to be offered cancellations. If you’ve been given an appointment with a named consultant, contact their secretary (go through hospital switchboard if no direct number is given) rather than the general department & - again - ask about clinic spaces & if you can be offered appointments cancelled at the last minute. It might be that they don’t run a cancellation list, but if you don’t ask, you won’t know. If you’re asking to go on it, you do need to be able to drop everything to attend an appointment offered to you for the next day or sometimes even one on the same day.

You’re a third of a way through the wait for the appointment. Make sure you keep notes of any significant issues your DD has - & questions you have - between now & the appointment. If there’s anything you struggle to describe that’s unlikely to be reproduced in the appointment, it’s ok to film her to show the paediatrician. If they say they don’t need to see it, don’t worry/assume they’re dismissing you; being able to provide the option is what matters, but they may not need that additional information.

If you’re up to it, absolutely complain about the HV’s refusal to see you. When you say health visitor refused to ever see us, was that Full Stop, or “just” about these concerns? I know there have been issues with babies born during the pandemic not being seen by HVs as they’d normally be, but…

Don’t forget to look after yourself in all this, too: if you make yourself stressed & miserable with self-recrimination you’ll be much less use to your DD than if you’re sleeping & eating well & generally looking after yourself. If you’re struggling to do that, don’t be afraid to ask for help - that’s not failing [anyone] either.

I hope everything goes well with the appointment & the outcome thereof.

ELW85 · 03/09/2021 09:55

@EwaLilith when the neuro had a concern that our son was using one side more than the other, they advised we go and see a paed physio for an assessment and then if they had concerns, it would then expedite a referral.
We paid to see a private paed physio (£70) and she was amazing. She did a thorough assessment and concluded he didn’t have a clinical hand preference.
FWIW, DS didn’t start really evening out until 6/7 months and only stopped tucking one thumb around 9 months.
It was hellish so I know what you’re going through and I’m so sorry you’re so worried.
Our HV was terrible (she didn’t know anything about a hand preference being indicative of anything) but you do have other options to get answers sooner, if you choose to.

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