Possible cerebral palsy

[WorryingFTM]

Hi there, I'm stressing about my DD she just turned 11 months and has only just started to crawl commando style (although she can pull up to stand and walk holding our hands) she leads with her right arm, palm down and keeps her left arm under her body to propel herself (her left hand is in a fist) is this worrying or just how babies initially start crawling? Her fine motor skills are excellent with both her left and right hands, she has great pincer grasp, can manipulate small objects, passing them from one hand to another, feed herself, wave and clap.

Do any CP parents know if it would also affect her fine skills? Should I get her checked out or just see if her crawl evens out?

Thanks, seriously stressed here!

Bump. Can anyone help?

To be honest this doesn’t sound worrying at all at 11 months old.

Do you have any reason to wonder about cerebral palsy OP? Did something happen at birth?

Fwiw my now 3.5yo didn't crawl until 14m, until then he would move a bit by rolling like a sausage... My elder daughter crawled much earlier and better. Ds was just never into it.

Their cousin only ever crawled commando style, dragging his legs behind.

My best friends little boy the same age was oxygen deprived and had to be resuscitated at birth. He has cerebral palsy. He first began to move by bum shuffling. But then, his older brother who does not have cp was also a bum shuffler! And his mum didn't crawl as a baby either.

They're all just different!

If it helps lay your mind to rest OP my little girl didn’t crawl until she could walk - she walked first just before twelve months and then figured she could crawl if her legs got tired

Babies are all different, there is no one way to learn life skills or one order, they do get there

No I don't have any reason to believe she would have cp. She has fab fine motor skills but this new one sided crawl just looks weird! It's got me googling and googling has led me down this rabbit hole! X

Something serious would have had to have happened to have given your little one cerebral palsy, something you'd know about!

Google is not your friend 😁

Haha Google is def not my friend!!! I'm trying to convince myself that the lopsided crawl will develop and that cp would also effect her fine motor skills which are v balanced and good!

Some babies don’t crawl at all and they just start pulling themselves up on furniture and start to walk. My daughter never crawled and took her first steps around 10 and a half months. She’s nearly ten now and completely fine.

I worried about this when mine was a baby. Turned out to be Hypermobility. Didn't crawl until 13 months. Took first steps at 17 months but then knee walked for ages. Properly walking at 21 months.

Stop googling and call your health visitor for reassurance!

I agree with the above. Contact your health visitor for reassurance.

My DS1 has mild CP caused by a bleed in his brain which was discovered at birth. I would think (hope) that if there was any concerns they should have been discovered before now and this is just the way she has decided to start crawling.

Also just to say it does affect fine motor skills...depending on the type of CP. It could affect anywhere from one limb to all 4. My DS has right hemiplegia and it affects both his right limbs and definitely his fine motor skills on his right hand.

If it were cp it would most likely have been picked up by now.

And go and see the GP about your anxiety. It's not 'possible cerebral palsy'. It's that you have terrible anxiety because you're googling without taking to a HCP.

Thank you everyone, so I'm right in thinking if it were CP her fine motor skills would be delayed?

Yes I've been struggling a lot with anxiety, sometimes it is so blinding I can't think straight. X

Sounds just like my youngest, she never crawled just dragged herself round on her bum. She couldn’t roll either.

She is also hyper mobile which hasn’t caused her any other problems .

Try not to worry, babies are all so different!

My youngest was resuscitated at birth (29 weekend) and needed a transfusion as she bled out (they didn't clamp her cord). She crawled with her head on the floor and although I'm sketchy on the details now, I'm sure she was older than 12 months when she started. She didn't walk until 19-20 months. Under physio for hypermobility.

She in now nearly 8 and a ballroom and Latin dancer (and actually v good! She's won comps). So I would say, stop worrying and relax. This precious time goes so quickly and you need to try and enjoy it. I know it's much easier said then done. But I spent the first two years of her life in such a state of worry .

Cp is a catch all term that can mean all manner of things. But my understanding is it doesn't just show up randomly! Something major would have happened.

As others have said something major happens pre birth or at birth to cause CP. My friends DS has been diagnosed and it was apparent much before crawling age when he struggled to hold his head etc. (they know exactly what caused his CP). It's a huge spectrum though from what I understand.
HV for any milestone concerns and I'd speak to your GP about anxiety - it's so common in new mums so don't be afraid to raise it (I'v been there at times where you just spend hours googling things).

Step,away from google! My son never ever crawled, he bum shuffled and then didn't walk until he was 2. Like, ok, he was premmy so a bit late n things wasn't surprisingly but he's absolutely perfect.