20 months and still not walking...

[Parabolica]

I posted on here a couple of months ago about my (then 18 month old) DD who wasn't yet walking, standing or saying many words. She is now cruising fine (if she's in the mood) and can crawl everywhere extremely fast but still isn't walking or even standing by herself. We've tried lots of helpful tips that others have posted on here to get her walk including spending time each day trying to stand her up and then letting go. I would say at best she has managed to do some wobbling standing for about 2 seconds and in trying to reach over to me has taken 1 or 2 very lurchy steps on the odd occasion. The daft thing (though its quite sweet really) she thinks its a funny game and giggles a lot when we try to get her stand. She pulls herself up now no problem but doesn't seem to have any balance.

She has had a LOT of problems with her ears since Jan (though she was slow to reach her milestones even before then) - we're now seeing a specialist who says she is just one of those children who is suspectible to ear infections but should hopefully grow out of it. They think (but I suppose can't be sure) that her ear problems may have affected her balance and when the ear problems were t their height she didn't really want to do anything except have cuddles and suck her thumb. We also managed to get a referral to a 'development' paediatrician who said on the face of it she could see nothing wrong (without doing lots of blood tests that she felt was unnecessary at this stage) but agreed she was 6 months behind where she should bo (which we knew but it was hard to see that written down in black and white). She checked her ankles, legs etc and said they seemed fine and no sign of hypermobility. So it just seems utterly baffling to us why she's not walking. The paediatrician has referred her for physio but there's a 3-4 month wait before we can start that on the NHS.

Like others have said, its just so hard and upsetting seeing children her age all running and toddling about, and my poor DD is still just crawling around. I console myself that she seems to be a really happy little girl but some days I feel like I will never see her walking. She just doesn't seem interested at all and her nursery have said she is a fairly placid, quiet child so that might be a factor.

We debated whether to get a private referral to a paediatrician to get a second opinion. But not sure it will be worth it as we probably will just hear the same thing. Maybe I just need to stop worrying but its hard to when its something affecting one of your children! Any thoughts, advice gratefully received.

Hi parabolica. I don't have any reassurance but just wanted to post that I am feeling the same way. My dc is 19 & half months (17 months adjusted as he was 10 weeks premature) and he isn't walking yet. I too feel like he is being left behind with his peers and just feel so disheartened that he isn't walking yet. I've not gone down the route of seeing someone about it but think that is my next step. Just wanted to say you are not alone

I had a lot of ear trouble as a child and I also did walk late - over 20 months according to my mum. I also have hypermobility in certain joints which could have been a factor too.

The main thing is that she has been checked over thoroughly by the sound of it. A physio referral sounds good just in case but from what you are saying about the crawling, cruising etc she will get there - in her own time

My DD didn't walk until 20 months because of balance issues so I do know how hard it is comparing with other babies who are already running around.

You have my sympathies - 19 month old DD not walking here. She can't stand unaided and won't take any steps unless you are holding both of her hands so sounds very much like your DD (but without the ear problems!).

Again the paed has not identified any reason for it - she goes back next month and has made progress since she last saw him. He said as long as she continues to make progress and doesn't regress then eventually she will catch up and all will be well so we are clinging on the that thought!

I do know how you feel though when all the other children much younger are running around and she is stuck firmly on her bottom :-) I'm sure they will both get there eventually though!

Oh I so know how you feel. My dd2 was 22mths when she walked. She didn't cruise much but could crawl very fast. One day she was standing at a sofa on one side of the room and just walked over to where I was sitting on the other side if the room! To say I was shocked is a complete understatement. Within 2 days she was walking everywhere. I had taken her for checks and was told they wouldn't really worry till she was 2yo. On another point, my dd1 walked at 13mths, ds1 12mths and ds2 walked at 19mths and he has hypermoblie joints. DD2 is now 2.10 and walking much better than ds2 who's 4yo, the only thing she's slightly behind on now is coming down stairs. Hopefully your LO will take off one day soon.

Hi. My dd1 didn't walk till 2.10 yrs due to hypermobility. It is horrible seeing everyone else's dc racing around when your dc is still crawling. My dd became a prolific knee walker due to her problem with her ankles. She went to playgroup for several months before she could walk. It didn't seem to affect her ability to fit in with the other dc, with some minor adjustment at times to take account of dd's inability to use chairs independently, and I'd always dress her in trousers for outdoor play. You'd be surprised how many dc walk late. Dd's dad was a ridiculously early walker at 9 months!

I suffered with lots of inner ear infections as a child and I can vouch that it completely screws your balance. I took to my bed when I had them and it literally felts I was walking on a moving ship. Sounds startled me etc. Travel sickness tablets really helped.

However, they then re-diagnosed them as migraines in my mid twenties.

They have got much better as an adult though.

Hi

My DS1 was a late walker (23 months). He was seen by a paediatrician from 12m old due to lack of babbling etc. It wasn't until he was 2 that they became concerned by his slow development. Until 2 there is great variation in "normal" development rates but generally most children reach the same sort of point by aged 2.

My son still has development delays but makes lots of progress, he's never regressed but he is slowly getting further behind as other children develop faster they progress away from him. He's 3.5 now and walks, climbs, jumps, communicates with sign language, knows all his colours, is learning numbers and letters. All things I never thought he'd do.

Hopefully your child is just a late developer, but even if they do develop differently they may still achieve everything. I mean at aged 40 no one will care if you talked at 7years or at 10 months.

I saw a lady in the park the other day whose ds reminded me of mine at the same age. He was crawling really fast and the lady and I got chatting about walking, or lack of it. Right on cue, ds (now 3/12) ran over and performed a beautiful forward roll. We both laughed.

My DD walked at 20 months. She had been standing holding onto things and cruising for a couple of months before she finally decided to walk. She had had clickly hips so had had checkups from physio etc, and there was no physical reason for her not walking. She just walked when she was ready. Please try not to worry. Everyone, and that includes children, like to do things in their own time.

And I should say that since she started to walk, 3 weeks ago, she has come on really fast and runs about everywhere now!

Hello everyone, I was wounder in how all your little ones
Got on?

I am on a mega hunt trying to find any other mums who's little ones are late walkers?

My dd is 18 months .. She was born 5 weeks early!

She will cruise, crawl, pull her self up and walk holding your finger, but she will not stand unaided or walk!!

I have tried everything everyday we try and she is getting sick of it

Please anyone help I'm loosing sleep my gp just said not to worry but I do!!

My ds now nearly three didn't walk until 19/20 months. I was frantic and actually felt quite depressed. You now wouldn't know he was a later walker. Runs, jumps, climbs, etc. I was told by a specialist that the key thing is progression and that as long as they are crawling and weight bearing there is unlikely to be much wrong. Some perfectly normal children don't walk until 2. I'm sure lots of mums with early walkers are obsessing over other things - speech, pointing, etc. Walkikng is just very visible. I really feel for you though as I remember how painful it was desperately wanting him running around with his friends.

Caftan, did your ds stand unaided? My dd doesn't!

Your words are very reassuring I so wish she would just take off!!

DS2 made no attempt at walking until 20 months, absolutely none. Didn't even occur to me to make him - fast route to annoyance for everyone IMHO. Now 22 months and always on his feet. Now won't even crawl up or down the stairs cause he's too good for that!

Generally it'll all come in good time so try not to stress too much. :)

Just to reassure you a bit, DD2 (now 13 and the most coordinated of my kids !) didn't walk till 22 months.

We saw paeds and physio. No cause just "normal" . She was, by then running in a high kneeling position at high speed - physios put her in piedro boots (stiff and hard, keeping feet at 90 degrees ) apparently to prevent her achilles tendons tightening as she wasn't ever getting to stretch them- she didn't do standing at all.

What happened was the books stopped her knee running as well (as her feet were in the way instead of training behind) and she got the message after a month or so and walked.

Really?! That is reassuring!! I don't know why I let it get to me so much it is really is upsetting me!!

I just feel as though she will never walk or stand alone!

Hi! I realise this post is super old and your little girl will be around 9/10 years old by now? I was researching and came across your post from 2012 and I could’ve written it about my almost 18 month old son! He wasn’t particularly late with other milestones (rolling sitting etc) maybe a month or so. Crawling at 12 months and he does take independent steps for around a month now but still not walking, so wobbly. He also doesn’t say many words. He can say the syllables but everything sounds like dada. I know he understands as he can follow simple commands. But I was wondering about your progress… how did your girl get along? Our paediatrician keeps telling me not to worry but has really not even examined him thoroughly. I always felt he had high muscle tone as a young baby but he does have good flexibility (maybe double jointed?) like you say, he’s happy and I hate watching him and worrying but i can’t help myself. He had a difficult birth and was born with a cephal heamatoma and I always worry it will cause him some problems in the future despite the doctors telling me it won’t.