getting into a complete state about DD's tiptoe walking and unsteady gait, can anyone calm me down?

[Everhart]

She is only just 2.
she walked on tiptoes for a few weeks when she was about 18m old but it stopped.
Now she has started doing it again (for the past 3/4 weeks, roughly) and I have noticed an unsteadiness to her gait, I think partially caused by the tipteoe walking (ie it's hard to stay as steady on tiptoes as when on flat of foot) but also maybe slightly independent of that too. She has always been what I would call a 'clamberer' ie she sort of flings herself onto me is I'm sitting on the floor and almost falls, in a controlled way, sideways onto me when she wants a bit of a clamber - I thought this was just affection (I've always been a clambering sort of cuddler myself) but she does it with others too. Eg I have a nice mother's help who takes her to a music class once a week and she says DD does it with her too - sort of flings herself onto her rather than just either sitting or standing - and though DD likes her, I don't think it's purely an affection thing there.

She is developing absolutely on cue in other ways - verbally very strong and she speaks clearly for her age, her manual dexterity seems good compared with others her age, and she seems very on-track with her understanding/empathy etc, albeit that she is an epic thrower of tantrums especially when teething or tired.

But this wobbly, uneven gait thing is getting me into a state, I am remembering a girl I knew at school with some form of cerebral palsy, I think it was, and the way DD sometimes walks reminds me of this girl from school.

Could it be something similar?

I have just today booked an appt with GP but obviously can't get an appt til next week - it feels like a long time for me to play, stupidly, Dr Google and get worried about stuff... DH is away all week so it's just me and I'm getting worked up :(

fwiw it tends to happen more when she's tired, and she has been VERY tired for last few weeks as she's had a very nasty virus and hasn't slept too well either.

And also - she is capable of walking on flat feet but seems sometimes to 'choose' not to iyswim.

I'd say at the mo she walks on tiptoes roughly 70% of the time, when she was doing it when she was a bit younger it was more like 50%.

Also she does it when wearing shoes, too, though slightly less.

I know I just need to wait for the GP appt but I'm really getting into a state here, have always had health anxiety of my own but this is the first time I've really been pathologically worried about DD :(

Sorry for being a bit pathetic.

My daughter used to walk on tiptoes too! I never heard of anyone else doing it haha. She's grown up now and absolutely fine. The only thing it might have done is that her big toes are a bit misshapen iyswim, and I've always wondered if it was the tiptoe walking that caused it so could be worth watching out for that. She had special splints for her toes and things to put in her shoes but it didn't straighten her toes. I think they left it too late to try and correct it. Your daughter sounds as if she's developing well and I'm sure she's fine but don't be embarrassed to mention it at her check ups.

oh and he always W sits as well.

Cannot thank you all enough for posting!!
Will definitely try to ask the right questions now when go for GP appt and 2 year check up.
I had never heard of hyper mbility - can't really think, now, if she sits with legs at 90 degrees but think she often does... will keep an eye out for that...
Am feeling much more reassured, if only because it sounds as if spotting any problems early on can really help with intervention etc if necc.
Thank you!! Silly worried person is now still silly but a bit less worried person...

not silly at all! I felt terrible last year because id left it to 6 to get advice and even then its worked out fine. Hypermobility can be a massive advantage for sportspeople as long as it is not too severe (andy Murray has it apparently) - if it it that. Our consultant reckons toe walking nearly always is linked to HM.

forago - oh God I won't tell DH that, he is already keen to get her to start tennis as young as possible (I think he fancies sitting in the family box at Wimbledon one day...)

oh and forago, that's v interesting what your consultant thinks re toe walking.
Will follow up on this line of questioning at appointments!
Thank you MN... :)

Does she have a "sacral dimple"? Sometimes this is an indication of spinal problems and milder ones can go unnoticed until children start walking ... In their tiptoes.
Of course it could also just be a habit.

Hyper mobility and low muscle tone spring to mind.

Physiotherapy can help with both so it might be worth asking your GP and HV if your dd could benefit from a referral.

my DS has a sacral dimple as well! as does one of his brothers. They were both also tongue tied, snipped shortly after birth. I always wonder if these things are all linked genetically. Anyway, he was thoroughly checked out at GOSH and doesn't have any spinal problems. he has muscle weakness in some of the main muscle groups which the consultant was initially worried about but the physio less so. really doesn't bother him at all apart from taking a bit longer to ride a bike, containing of sore legs on long walks etc. He's had a course of physio, has some excercise balls for his hands, consciously tries to walk flat with a technique they taught him (much easier now with a 7 year old) and other than that he said to keep him as for and active as possible to build up the muscle strength.

I think we have got off very lightly tbh, at the clinic there are children who are much floppier and have difficulty walking. toe walking and a minor HM aren't anything to be too worried about in conparison I don't think. I think it is quite possible to just have toe walking as the only symptom as well at the most minor end of the scale.

push for a referral now (if necessary) as it won't be classed as urgent (rightly so) so may take awhile. I got very worried like you so we went private in the end after a few months of waiting and his NHS referral for physio came through after a year!

Thanks hugely, low muscle tone isn't something I had heard of either so it's another great help to point me in right direction re questions.
Will have a look for sacral dimple! But a quick google of images makes me think it's something i would have noticed...

Thx v much forago!! Will ask for a referral as it would be good to have something in the pipeline... Quite right that it's non urgent but as you say it could obv take a while!!

Sorry to badger but for those with children with hyper mobility... Is it relevant that DD gets very very tired...? I have always assumed she just wears herself out as she is always 'on' both mentally and physically but she is quite noticeably more tired than other toddlers I know. Even when she sleeps well she tires easily and though she does love a good runaround she often asks to be carried (have always put this down to clinginess especially if it's around the house but is it worth a mention?)

Thanks mrs de vere!!
Sounds silly but can't be sure about the W thing, she doesn't sit still that often! When she does she usually prefers to slump on me... But I may have noticed the W thing... Will keep an eye out...
Only thing is neither I nor DH are hyper mobile, is there a hereditary link or can it just 'happen'?

Mrs de vere thank you so much, hugely appreciated.
Dr mumsnet > dr random scary google :)

My DS has CP and is hypermobile too. He cruised on tiptoes, by the time he walked independently he had been wearing splints and having intensive physio so he could walk with one foot flat and the other flat if he was told to

How old was your DD when she sat unsupported? How was her sitting?
Have you noticed anything else to do with her gross motor development?

My DS does get very tired, but I think both the CP and hyper mobility can do that.

Definitely second advice for physio referral - the first one I saw was very dismissive, complained, was seen by lead physio - told her I was sure he had CP she agreed with me.

Get referred and be clear about your concerns, please don't google your head to complete death - things are rarely as bad as they may seem!

Of course I googled everything!

Watching with interest.

DD 2.4 doesn't tiptoe, but her toes point in, she falls over a lot and tires easily when walking. She W sits a lot. She also has poor core strength and fine motor skills for her age (eg only just getting the hang of using spoon, very slow to get up from floor or up stairs). She generally hits milestones on time (very determined personality!) but then stays very wobbly or slow at them for a long time. She's always favoured her left side/hand since a baby.

She was 6 weeks prem and had a rough birth. Mild hypermobility and dyspraxia are in the the family (my mum and sister). She has a sacral dimple and had tongue tie.

So I wonder about mild CP, dyspraxia, spinal issues and/or hypermobility. no idea whether it's any or none of these. As the OP says I just want to make sure she gets early intervention if it would help.

I have a referral via HV to biomechanics/gait person but wonder if they will look at anything other than her feet...

forago what sort of private person did you see, and did that get you referred to GOSH for the spinal check etc?

Sorry to hijack OP - you could be me I think! Good luck with your GP and HV appts. As I say, HV appt has yielded a referral for DD but I am sceptical whether it will be sufficiently broad.

hi minipie I initially went to the GP about the toe walking (as someone on MN pointed out I shouldn't just ignore it!) and because his hyper mobile hands were causing him problems at school - he'd just gone into y1 where they start to write more and the pencil kept pinging out of his hand and he was getting frustrated. She agreed needed investigation, because was 2 things - toe walking (100%) and HM in his hands and also he had a mild heart murmur, from birth. She referred to the general paed team at our local hospital with a concurrent referral to paed physio there. We saw the paed consultant who said you need to see a paed rheumatologist and stay in line for physio.

After a few months of being on the waiting list and more frustration at school I used work private HC (which I hadn't had initially) and they referred me to the paediatric rheumatologist in London that was on their books (don't think there are that many) who has a clinic at GOSH and uses a physio team there.

I must point out, though it was a worry, the physio (and getting older) has largely addressed the main issues and he is a healthy, happy boy really. He is more stable now,and has learnt to write fine (very well actually as such a deliberate effort) - though I had a bit of a battle with the school to let him hold the pencil in a non standard way that works for him, as the consultant insisted should be the case. he has taken up gymnastics and football and is very active (though will never play for England :) ) I do still worry about the muscle and grip weakness (and the apparent association with anxiety) but it doesn't really affect him overly at the moment.

He was later than his brothers to walk at about 19m but no other noticeable milestone delay. He has a very different personality to them.

Thanks forago! Think I will see what the HV referral yields and then see our very good GP. DD is covered by BUPA so GP could make a private referral I think. There is also a good childrens physio near me, however I don't know if physios do diagnostic stuff (presume they can't check eg spine formation)?