15 month old not crawling or walking

[gchalix]

AIBU to be worried about my 15 month old DS who has never crawled and also isn't walking yet? He can stand up himself holding onto something but that's about it!

I know that all babies are different but now I am starting to wonder if I need to see my doctor about this..

Anyone?

Can you get in touch with your health visitor? My DD didnt walk until about 18 months and never crawled and my Health Visitor was really helpful. 15 months is still in the normal range but it's worth putting your mind at ease. It turned out with my DD that she had low muscle tone and hyper mobility in her ankles and hips which is what slowed her down. We had some physio and shes a perfectly healthy and active 8 year old now.

@Boom45 Thanks for responding. We moved house last year and we've never seen a health visitor, even though we had a letter once that said they would visit. I can't seem to get hold of them either when I call

Do they try to move at all? Both of mine were late walkers. But they did move. They were rolling around 9 months, crawling around a year and walking by 18 months. I never noticed it with my eldest, but youngest definitely went through a bum shuffling stage as well.

Can DC pull themselves up to stand? Can they put weight on their legs without any problems? Are they cruising? What happens if you put something they want out of their reach?

Hi!
My dd was still not walking at 18months.she would drag herself across the floor on her tummy,with one arm.never crawled.
She was very bendy&flexible in her joints, especially her feet(she would suck her big toes!lol)
I took her to the Dr as was but worried &she thought she may have hypermobility&referred us to physio.
Physio then officially diagnosed hypermobility &she had to have the physio to be able to walk.
She finally took her first steps a week before her 2nd birthday.
We also had to regularly see the orthotics people as she had to wear special boots&insoles to support her feet&ankles.
She no longer has to wear the special boots now for a yr/18months&only has to use the insoles.
I'm not saying that's what the problem is with yr lo,it just may be that she's a late walker.werw either unit yr dh? It can run in families.
Just keep an eye on it&if it's still the same by 18months/2 yrs see yr gp.

He is a bum shuffler. I've tried to put things he wants out of reach when he's stood up but he just falls back on his bum, shuffles to where I've put it and picks it up that way. He's not cruising either. Literally just standing up for a little bit and that's it

He can pull himself up to stand has only recently just weight bared on his feet. He used to stand on his tiptoes at first

Forgot to say,our DD is now nearly 12 yrs old&is getting in really well!
She still can't ride a bike but is catching up with her peers with all her other gross motor skills ie running,skipping,hopping etc.she was always behind them with all that before.

DD didn't really try to stand up.if she did try to weight bear her feet were VERY unstable.

Bum shufflers do tend to walk late. The fact that your son is bearing weight on his legs is really encouraging, too. However, I agree with PPs that it would be helpful to talk to your HV.

Another vote for looking into hypermobility - DS had it (diagnosed by paediatrician because MIL insisted there was something massively wrong with him 😒) he walked properly at 1.5 years. If he is standing holding on to things there’s probably not long to go for him to start taking first steps. See a doctor and put your mind at ease if it will make you feel better to make sure it’s nothing more.

Bum shufflers often walk later according to my HV. DS was a shuffler until around 14 months, then started crawling. Within a month of crawling he was cruising and then walking within a matter of days. He's almost 18 months now and getting more and more confident on his feet. He virtually never crawls now. If you have any doubts speak to the HV team in your area, or failing that your GP/practice nurse. They'll probably tell you it's too soon to worry yet, but it might put your mind at ease a bit. The weight bearing is a really good sign though

@gchalix

He is a bum shuffler. I've tried to put things he wants out of reach when he's stood up but he just falls back on his bum, shuffles to where I've put it and picks it up that way. He's not cruising either. Literally just standing up for a little bit and that's it

He can get around (pretty fast, if my brother was anything to go by) while having both hands free to hold things, so he hasn't as much need to walk as a child who crawls.

Is he hitting other milestones? Talking, fine motor skills?

Neither of mine crawled. DD walked at 16 months, DS at 19 months. DD didn’t bum shuffle, DS did a bit. With DD I was a bit worried but by DS I wasn’t and in fact was very grateful that he was always still where I left him! Was also more dexterous than many others as concentrated on hand movements etc. Both caught up very quickly in terms of walking and other movement skills once they got started walking and are now perfectly healthy teenagers! But if you’re worried then no harm in asking HV or GP.

Bum shufflers walk late. My daughter did the same, couldn't sit from a lying position, or lie down from a sitting position. In fact she used to keel over bent double if she fell asleep. She had about 3months of physio and we were told she had a weak core. Started pulling to a stand at about 19 months and she finally walked at 23 months, what a relief! She later went on to become a beautiful ballet dancer at age 10!

If he’s cruising it should be fine. Many babies never crawl.

Plenty of babies never crawl. Two of my three were bum shufflers. DD2 walked at 23 months. DD3 walked at 21 months.

DD1 was my only crawler and she walked at 14 months.

If you need reassurance then check with your Health Visitor, but there really is a very wide range of normal. I think that no two babies are totally alike.

Babies that can get what they want without having to walk can walk about later. My DD was a very early talker so sat and ordered us around about rather than work hard to get herself moving!
If it is hypermobilty or similar you'll need a referral from your GP anyway so you can by-pass your health visitor if you dont have one!

Op, I wouldn’t worry about it. Two of my DC were bum shufflers and they moved about fine. Both were late to walking.

I think the expectation is that all babies crawl but that isn’t the case.

My dd didn't walk by herself until 17 months. She was a bottom shuffler. She had a traumatic birth and was under observation by hospital doctors until she reached various milestones. Walking was the last one and they weren't overly concerned about it. They said as long as she was able to get about in her own way there was no incentive to walk. Everyone does it in their own time

He is a bum shuffler.

I think you can relax, i knew a kid like this and she ended up fine.

I was a bum shuffler as. A baby Op and I walk just fine - I never ever crawled. It's constantly mentioned to me because DM keeps warning DD may do the same.
I don't know if I was a late walker but I don't think 15 months is that late? I think it's accepted that shuffling is an alternative to crawling though

We have a crap health visiting service here too so I asked my GP about it when I was in with something else. GP told me don’t worry until 18 months then book in for a check-up with them just to rule out physical issues like hip problems etc.

Always worth checking with HV if you're worried but actually I think the fact that he bum shuffles means he's likely fine. Many bum shufflers tend to walk late and skip crawling.
My DC have all been pulling up age 7/8 months and walking around 10 months. It can be a bit of a pain when they do so young and I confess to having wished for a bum shuffler.

What’s his language like? I think you often get walkers or talkers. Eg my first walked from 11m but was much slower to develop her communication. My second was much more even but hasn’t made much language progress since she started to walk. I don’t think development is ever linear across different skills.