PLEASE HELP! Sitting only at 15 months

[alie1]

Hello,

My daughter is 15 months old and can sit up only. She doesn't crawl, walk, cruise, bum shuffle, pull herself up etc.

If put into the standing position she does stand with my support for a little while, but does not take any steps either when being held or using a walker.

I'm v. worried as I have not met any other babies like Grace. All the children of her age are running around by now and I feel as if Grace is the odd one out.

If you know of anyone who has gone through this it would really put my mind at rest to know.

Many thanks in advance for your help.

Alie

I looked after a little girl like that

Dont worry...

she is now 3 1/2 and does everything a normal 3 1/2 year old does

At 15 months she couldnt move at all would just sit there.... by 20 months she had done crawling cruising and was a confident walker.... she'll get there soon enough!

my neighbours wee boy was like this and he started to walk at about 18 months - he didnt crawl or cruise either. He is now 2.5 and average for his age with everything.

my dd2 (now 41/2) didn't walk until she was 16 months old, once she did I couldn't stop her...she just waited until she had the confidence...she is now completely fine, in fact she is the youngest in her school, but you really wouldn't believe .
its normal to worry about everything, if you are very concerned speak to your hv.

Allie
I'm not sure if you just want to be told "it's OK" or if you want to hear another view.

If she takes the weight on her feet well (sounds like she does) then that's good.
Not all babies crawl, shuffle or cruise. Some just get up and walk.
However, I would be slightly concerned that she is not cruising at all at this age TBH.
A friend's DD had a hip problem (they knew early as she would not take her weight) and surgery was a possibility, but in the end they decided it would correct itself and she walked at about 21mo IIRC, after bum shuffling for a few months before that. She's fine now at almost 3.
Yr DD sounds different, and as I say, weight bearing is crucial. But does she not seem to want to move? I would think about taking her to see yr HV/GP.
Another friend had a DS who was a very late walker, and still has mobility problems. If you need physio then the earlier it starts the better. Not trying to alarm you, just trying to help, honest!

Alie not wanting to worry you but my friends had a dd that just sat up to age 2. gorgeous happy child but immobile
She was referred to physio and they diagnosed short tendons, which was remedied by physio and special weighted boots
This girl is now 5 and you cannot tell her aprt from other school kids
I have a dd who did not walk until 26 tmsh
She had developement delay and low muscle tone and a genetic condition which caused this.
But she still crawled and cruised at a year
I am sure of your dd can so some weightbearing then you have not got a huge problem and it may actually be nothing]
But knowing what I know about dd and my friends dd, I'd be lying if I said not to get it checked and relax.
Hope this comes across ok - I've had 2 hrs sleep so am bit wonky today :)

alie, have been thinking about this. Have you tried the various tactics you can use to encourag eher? (I am sure you have).
I recall when DS1 was little (he was a late-ish walker) we used to put anything he was interested in on a low table or the sofa, so he had to stand up at it to get a look. even moved things along from him to get him to cruise. Might be worth trying this kind of thing.

I wouls definatley have a word with your Health Visitor

see what she says

Alie1 - DON'T WORRY!!!!!!! My DD1 was only sitting at 15 months too (I gave birth to DD2 at this time as well, it was a bit of a nightmare carrying them both round everywhere!!) Then once DD2 was here, she was sooooo desperate to see her (and scratch her eyes out - lol!) that she suddenly started crawling and then this was relatively soon followed by walking at 20 months - She is fine now, but still a little shaky on her feet and not running so has a job keeping up with her pals, bless her!! She's talented in other ways though (she's pretty mean with a crayon and her two-footed jumping is sight to behold !!) Perhaps your DD hasn't got the incentive to "move" - perhaps she just quite simply can't be "arsed" !!

Friend of mine just sat until 16m then got up & started walking.

Friend of mine's baby did this.

She got up and walked about a month later.

Two months later she started talking in complete, complex sentances and generally being linguistically highly advanced.

Meanwhile, my son (who was sitting a bit at 15 weeks is now just about using complex sentance at 2 1/2 years.

They're great at the playground. She sits in her buggy commenting on all the running about and climbing he's done.

hi all, to add to this my DD fist crawled at 13 mnths but only walked at 22 months, and this was with great persaution. I wont say it was easy as some days it was very hard but she is fine now and can now see she is generally cautious in doing new things - potty, climbing, running etc. I now have DS who is 10 moths and is crawling, and standing and a bit of walking - I wish he would slow down. I think as mothers we are never really happy!!!

I can see both sides of this. When I first read your post, I thought you said that your daughter had only just started to sit at 15 months - and that would have got me concerned. However, if she was on target with her sitting milestone then non weight bearing at 15 months wouldn't concern me greatly - so long as other developmental milestones were being hit. And in fact you do say that she will weight bear for short periods of time.

It's very easy for all of us to say either 'don't worry' or 'worry' but remember that each of us only has our own experiences or those of others close to us to go on and we do not know your child at all. So from my own experiences (and having been to see my GP), my dd didn't weight bear at all until 16 months, cruised at 18 months but didn't walk unaided until 20 months.

The main thing however, is how you are feeling and if you are at all concerned then a quick trip to you helath visitor or GP will do a lot to either allay those fears if there is genuinely nothing wrong or point you in the direction of extra help if it is required.

Please trust your own instincts on this and do what you feel is right for you and your dd.

my dd does not stand or walk at 16 months and doctors are investigating. Piffle - was yr child diagnosed with benign congential hypotonia by any chance? it has been mentioned in my dd's case. Of course, lots of children walk late for no other reason than they want to walk late. my best friend said he did not walk until 22 months. he's fine...drinks a bit too much tho

My DS, 19 months, has benign infantile hypotonia. He sat up from an appropriate age and bum shuffled and commando crawled from 11 months and has alwasy been quite happy to put his feet on the floor but could not support himself alone when standing, legs too wobbly.

We have physio to help his muscle strength and it's working well, he's just getting to grips with cruising, finally.

I agree with Handbag - could be nothing, could be something, but definitely worth taking the initial steps to find out. I too know of toddlers with no apparent physical issue who moved fairly late, but there are also toddlers like mine who do turn out to have some minor issues. If there is a problem then the earlier you get help the better IME.

Yep, go with the handbag!

But to reassure you, both of mine were late crawlers and walkers.. but they were both very early talkers and could even count before they walked - is Grace doing something else (eg usingher brain!) instead of walking IYSWIM?

sorry to hijack - debscee, what sort of physio do you do and do you have any other concerns apart from physical? my dd seems fine in all other respects so am somewhat taken back by a hypotonia dx.

mommie - Like you we have no other concerns regarding my DS. We were always a bit iffy until he was 12 months TBH because he had traumatic birth, respiration, meconium aspiration, 10 days in SCBU etc but actually his leg issue was only really apparent at 11 months old. Up to that point he had been deemed 'normal' but I have to admit that his wobbly flexible legs always concerned me. In every other respect he is fine - has had numerous developmental assesments as follow up from his birth, including MRI's etc and always scored as average or above average in every area other than mobility so we have been given the all clear as far as 'other issues' are concerned. So we really aren't concerned about any other aspect of his development.

Having had a check-up appointment last month with his paed he did confirm for us that his low muscle tone was almost certainly down to his birth and oxygen starvation (HIE) but confirmed there was no other injury/impact or Cerebral Palsy - which was our concern.

He did say that benign infantile hypotonia can also occur without any seemingly obvious explanation, sometimes hereditary. More confusing for us because DH was also low tone as a baby and walked very late - another bottom shuffler! :)

Our physio started when DS was 13 months old (long waiting list, referred at 11 months at my request!). We basically have a series of exercises to encourage appropriate movements - from sitting to standing, pulling up, sitting sideways etc - all very simple and not traumatic for DS or us - he enjoys it because we incorporate it with play easily. The physio comes out once every 4 weeks to see us at home and reassesses him - she is pleased with his progress because he is getting better every month. We are impressed because he has now begun to walk with assistance and cruise a little. You can ask your HV or GP to refer you.

Feel free to CAT me if I can help with anything more.

Its easier said than done, but it sounds like your lo is just taking her time over things - my dd has developemental delay, hypotonia etc, and didn't walk until she was 30m. Once she was walking, my consultant helpfully told me that he doesn't worry unless a child cannot sit unsupported at 24m- as long as they are doing that, then they will walk. As your dd is both sitting up and weight bearing, she will do it, but probably when she is good and ready,not to a timetable. A watched kettle, etc?! Get her checked, just to reassure you, but my dd wasn't even weight bearing on her feet at 24m, and now at 31/2, she can walk just like any other peer. She can't run or jump, but hey, who cares?/ Good luck.

Debscee - MANY thanks for that. am taking DD to see a consultant paediatrician for a "definitive" consulation - as far as they ever can be at this stage - and will CAT you after that if that is ok. your case sounds exactly the same as mine. bottom shuffling also runs in our family (me and my brother)tho dd has gone from bshuffling to crawling now.

My niece never crawled, and only started walking several months after her 2nd birthday. My sister was really worried about this and consulted a physio (who never gave any conclusive advice) but she is now walking normally at 2 and a half.

Late walking tends to run in families - all of us were late walkers and I didn't walk until 15 months. My own ds shows no signs of crawling at nearly 11 months, and somehow I just know he's not going to walk for ages!

My dt2, could'nt even sit unaided until she was 14 months, she would always fall to her left, and when she did sit unaided it was in the 'W' with her feet facing behind her IYKWIM. However ny 17 months she was running around and could do everythng, though she looks awkward doing it, and when she runs she does'nt move her left arm, but she is certainly mobile, can run jump and climb etc, but she will be seeing a consultant nezt week, just to rule things out (hopefully)

Mommie - Hope everything goes well with the appointment. Crawling sounds good to me, DS never has, prefers to carry things while he shuffles!

Do CAT me when you have seen the paed.

will do -

My 13 month old can sit for long periods of time but will still occasionally fall back. We can never leave her without some kind of pillow to protect her. Getting really worried.