Still not sitting at 9 mo HELP!

[Shugaplum]

DS was born 10 weeks premature but has had no health problems that we know of as yet. He's now 11 months old actual, 9 months corrected and still can't sit without support for more than afew seconds. I've also noticed that his hips seem stiff as he can't open his legs as wide as other babies.

He's not crawling yet but drags himself along with his arms - kind of like a caterpillar motion and was really early to roll both ways. He's also started walking when holding my hands but other babies seem to walk with their legs wide apart and his are always very close together.

Does anyone have ideas what could be wrong? I have a paediatric follow up in 3 weeks but if there is something really wrong I want to get it sorted now. Can't get a GP appointment for a few days so now I am worrying like mad it is something like cerebral palsy or there is something seriously wrong withhis hips.

Sorry, no answers but didn't want to leave you unanswered. Can you phone your surgery and speak to a nurse/health visitor and ask for advice? Or ask for a doctor to phone you back?

Ask for a referal to paed physio.
Do the tendons at the top of his legs/inner thighs look & feel tight?
DS2 was born at 28 wks & the right streching exxercises from the physio really helped loosen his legs.
As far as sitting goes, whats his general muscle tone like, is he floppier than average (ds2's upper body was very floppy) it is very common in prem babies for them to have ongoing low muscle tone that takes time to build up.
Again we had lots of exercises from physio, things like row-row-row your boat etc.

The fact hat he rolled early, is pulling himself along & will wlak holding your hands are all very good signs.
My ds2 does have very mild CP & other disabilities and was doing none of those things at a similar age, in fact he couldn't even roll over at a year - although he can run & climb now aged 8.

Ask for a refferal but at the same time remember that some kids do sit/crawl very late. My neice didn't sit uptill 18 months and didn't walk till past 2. Co-ordination wise she is OK now (aged 9) but is very very bright - years ahead. I wonder if as a baby she was too busy with brain development to think about large motor skills.

tHANKS SO MUCH - HAS PUT MY MIND AT REST A BIT WHILE WE WAIT FOR THE PAED APPOINTMENT. oops sorry for caps.

He has always been a bit flopppy in terms of upper body strength but has very strong legs - been standing with support from 3 months!

I think it is his tendons that are stiff - he used to be able to do froggy position but can't now.

Anon - were you given physio as a matter of course? No one has ever mentioned it.

Yes we were given automatic physio, depends on the local criterea i think. Here all babies born below 30wks or under 1.5k were automatically followed up with physio.
The 1st home visit was 3 weeks after discharge & he's had physio ever since.
It is definately worth gettign a paed physio assessment, if only to put your mind at ease.

We were also advised to do as much exercise as possible, swimming & lots of leg stretches in the bath. He also had hydrotherapy from about 2yrs. All helped loads.