Just found out dd has hypermobility

[Lotta1234]

We've just had it confirmed that our daughter has hypermobility which explains her delay with motor skills and constipation. Anyone else in the same boat? All tips welcome.

How old is your dd?
My dd crawled at 13 months and walked at 19m. At 18 months I took her to a physio who diagnosed hypermobility and told me to do what I could to get her muscles strong. So I got her crawling up the stairs and walking to the local shop pushing a baby walker, which was very cute. As I said, she quickly got up confidence and walked within the month.
Now at 3y she's pretty much indistinguishable from her peers.

What other signs were there that led to the diagnosis? Curious as have always suspected my DD (7) has it.

DS1 is hypermobile, he wasn't diagnosed until he was 8, after years of being told he could write (or use a knife and fork, or manage buttons) because he was a boy and he was lazy

He's 11 now and his new secondary are giving him loads of help with his writing. He still struggles with anything that needs fine motor skills and will avoid doing anything fiddly if he can, but day to day he's fairly normal!

I'd say push hard to make sure she gets the OT help she needs. My Ds is bright, so although his writing was/is poor, he was still doing OK. He wasn't getting anywhere close to his potential, but he was meeting the target levels IYSWIM, so his primary didn't feel any pressing need to help him.

Dc1 was diagnosed as hypermobile at 23 months, finally walked at 2.10 years. Now 4.1 years her gross motor skills are still behind but improving.

You mention hypermobility being a reason for constipation! My dc has been constipated since a baby. Any other info about that?

Can I hijack this thread slightly? My Ds (6) is hypermobile, and has never been constipated but instead often poos in his pants because (so he says) he doesn't know he needs to go until the very last second when it's too late to get to a toilet. Is it possible his brain/muscles are not receiving/transmitting messages about needing a poo? I am at my wits' end...

We've been told the constipation is because dd's core muscles aren't strong. We've been told to get her to crawl as this'll help strengthen them. Apparently lots of hypermobility children are on laxatives (like our daughter).

That's interesting Lotta. Dd has hypotonia as well and is very floppy and we've been advised to strengthen her core muscles with swimming. Whenever I've spoken to most HCPs about the constipation I get quizzed on her diet and fluid intake! Yet other dc has same diet with no problems.

One HCP has suggested that as the constipation issues have gone on so long, dd may have lost sensation and now not know physically when she needs to go. Dd was on lactulose, then movicol for past 2.4 years.