What age did your child start walking ?

[WSM]

My DD will be 14 months old on Wednesday and is still not walking yet. I'm not exactly worried as she seems to have no problems weight bearing but it is really getting me down that almost all of the other babies we know who were born around the same time are on their feet (not to mention those on MN ).

She was a late crawler, not starting until 10 months and now that she is so proficient at crawling she is reluctant to attempt to walk (she knows that she will get there much faster if she crawls). She takes steps if you hold one hand but only manages 2 or 3 before she loses her balance, she is fine if you hold both hands and will walk forever. She will also take steps using furniture and her little walker toys.

Deep down I know that she will probably be a late walker and I don't expect her to be toddling until about 18 months but I suppose I just want a bit of reassurance. If she is late crawling and walking will be behind developmentally for ever ? She was not a prem baby, born at 37+3 after a 3 hour non-intervention labour. She needed no oxygen or other medical support post birth. She has 2 half brothers (same father), one of whom was walking at 10 months and the other at 15 months.

Gilli I have been in the same position as you with my daughter and I would advise you to go back to the doctors and get a referal for physio now. The pyshio waiting lists can be quite long so it would be better for you to have an appointment sooner rather than later even if it turns out you wont need it in the end. I know with my daughter the physio really brought her on. She has hypermobility in her joints (donr know if thats what your daughter has?) and hypotonia which is low muscle tone. My daughter walked after a couple of sessions of physio. Try not to worry

fio2 - I am SO grateful to you for your answer, as I have had little support from anyone over this, and as she's my 4th, I think I have reasonable experience of the normal range of motor development. I think my daughter must have hypermobility too: as well as the hips problem she can get her arms out of a tight carseat or pushchair harness with alarming results! Did your daughter's hypermobility improve with age, or is it something that stays with them?

Gilli yes it has improved but she is affected quite badly with it. She walked at 23months but she has to have specially made insoles to go in her shoes so her feet dont move around too much. She walks a bit like 'mr soft' iykwim. She has got other problems aswell but the hypermobility has really hindered her gross motor function. We had to get a referal to an orthapeadic surgeon for a diagnosis of this. Then you have to see an orthotist (for shoes, insoles if necessary) Physio is so useful, please try and get a referal. Have you spoken to your health visitor about this? They can often get you reffered for physio. Also a physio should be able to tell if all your dd's joints are mobile. My dd's wrists, feet and ankles turn almost 360 degrees. Hypermobility isnt something to worry about though. lou33's kids have it aswell. There was a thread on health recently about clicky joints which had some pointers to hypermobility. HTH

Don't worry - my ds didn't sit till he was 9 months. there was a girl we saw every week , about the same age, who could walk when he was only just learning to sit!
He didn't walk till he was 17 months, but then just did it. my other ds also walked at 16 months, but was great at it straight away, pretty much, which was lucky, as ds 2 was born only about a month after he took his 1st steps.

He did most of his baby stuff late, but was an early talker, and I think I was the same.

I have never heard of hypermobility but it seems as though a mild version of this is what is preventing my 23 month old dd walking independently (although in the past week, she has started pushing a doll's buggy).

She had a recent developmental assessment as she is not talking either and we were told that her inability to walk was because she was double jointed and generally floppy. I have found it such hard work having a late walker, particularly the fact that she isn't able to potter about outside and the fact that her independence is so severely curtailed. After about 10 months of gritting my teeth and smiling when people said "oh you'll regret it when she's off and about on her own" I finally snapped at playgroup when another mother said just that. At 41 weeks pregnant and having to spend the entire time carrying her from one activity to another and helping her push various toys around while everyone else sat around as their toddlers raced up and down amusing themselves, I had had enough. So all my sympathy to everyone in a similar position.

low muscle tone is hypotonia (floppy)

Bells, have you had a referral to deal with the hypotonia and hypermobility? If not I would push for one. I know you have other things on your mind right now, but an appointment would probably take a while to get anyway. Physio is the best way to go with this combination imo.

Fio, are we becoming the resident hypermobility/hypertonic experts on here?

When ds1 was having his multidsiciplinary assessment one of the boys in the group had hypermobility (although very mildy) I couldn't tell he had anything wrong with him. Anyone who is worried about hypermobility could ask whether there is a multidisciplinary assessment team in their area. We were referred to it by the specialist HV attached to the CDC. They were very good - and we were seen by everyone we needed to see over the course of 6 weeks rather than 6 months (and anyone who knows me knows that I do not praise NHS services very often).

And bells my sympathy- I got the same with the talking "ooh once he starts you'll be wishing he would shut up". yeah right. 4 and a half now and we're still waiting.

sorry- that wasn;t meant to sound like -hypermobility- nothing wrong with him. What I meant is don't be put off asking for input if you think your child only has a "mild" problem. This little boys problems were treated seriously and he therefore got the help he needed. I just said mild as I friend who's daughter has hypermobility and compared to her his problems were mild.

Hi Lou33 and Fio2 - I had never heard of hypermobility before this thread: all I know is that dd can hold her ankles and open her legs out to 90 degrees without any problem, plays telephone with her foot to her ear, and is she gets in the crawling position (which has only happened in the last 10 days anyway) her hips slip sideways until her pelvis is on the floor and she resembles a spatchcock chicken! Now that she is trying to stand if I make her, she locks her knees in a concave position to steady herself, and leans on me: she is a very long way from weightbearing herself, and as I said, she's over 17 months.

Gilli do her feet turn outwards too? She does sound like she has hypotonia. I would pester that doctor for a physio referal. Glad shes learnt the art of crawling

Def get a referral Gilli .

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I'm really grateful for this info as nobody has mentioned that it is something that could be potentially helped by physio. Will certainly push for an appointment.

So will I - thanks for all your support - I really appreciate the friendship

Both my ds twins "cruised" around the furniture and anything else they could grab from 9 mnt but they both crawled rather than walked until they were 15-16 mnt old. They then both decided within days of each other that the view was better on two feet than on their knees!

Well, for anyone who is interested.... My DD took her very first steps early this week She is very wobbly and manages to take at least 5 or 6 independent steps before over-balancing. SO PROUD

cheer!!

[swings WSM round and round in celebration]

It's great those first wobbly steps, aren't they?

Fantastic! You must be so chuffed! It is the best feeling!

Great news WSM!

Fio, am wondering if dd2 has hypermobility too now? I suppose the physios would have mentioned it to us though by now. She can open out her legs 180 degrees (another spatchcock chicken here, Gilli! ) and points her toes down, is very reluctant to weight bear etc. Hmm, think I'll mention it next time I see them. Thanks, resident experts!!

Watch the hip Georgina She is soooooo wobbly but she looks so pleased with herself. She gets so excited when she realises that she's walking that she falls over and just starts clapping manically !!!!

Aw bless - it's so cute when they applaud themselves too, isn't it? A very proud mummy moment!

WSM - great news!

Can I ask about hypermobility. My ds had an assessment last week to confirm the diagnois of ASD and as part of that he was generally looked over. The physio has advised that he gets shoe inserts or possibly even splints because he has extremely flat feet. This wasn't apparent till he was 2 and didn't affect his walking (walked at 15 months) and he was referred but I was told he would grow out of it.

At birth he had turned in ankles and wrists despite being small (6.2lbs) and we also noticed his very long fingers. The ankles were OK but he had wrist splints at 6 weeks old for a few weeks and he was fine. He was seen by a genetisist but this wasn't followed up again till last week. I showed them my tricks with my fingers and I can bend my thumb in toawrds my wrist and they seem to think it is just a genetic trait. However I don't have flat feet or knees that bend inwards. No-one has mentioned hypermobility and yet having looked at this page (link below) ds fits a lot of the criteria as he also has a droppy eyelid, squint and had a hernia at 16 months.

Does this mean he is giong to have problems as an adult too? or is it a question of degree with this condition?

Here is the link The Brighton Score - The New Diagnostic Criteria for HMS

WSM - how sweet! It's really cute when they clap themselves isn't it?