14months, not crawling/pulling up

[Loft653]

Hi

My DD is 14months. She isn't crawling, bum shuffling or pulling up. If I lift her into a standing position and hold both her hands she will walk around for ages (my back is killing me!). If I let go of her hands she doesn't have the balance to stay standing.

When she had her 12mth check up she failed all the gross motor tests but passed everything else with flying colours. HV didn't seem bothered and said it's not unusual to not pull up at 12mths and some babies never crawl. She said she'd ring me in 8weeks time to see if my DD had improved. 4wks later a HV rang me at 5pm to say she was coming the next day to do an assessment, that didn't happen as I work full time and DD is at nursery.

The HV is coming to do the assessment next week. I'm not particularly concerned but I wonder if in this situation would others ask for a referral to a paediatrician for reassurance? We have private healthcare so would go private for it if we needed to. Or is it just too early for that.

To be clear I think it's the not pulling up rather than the not walking that they are assessing.

My eldest didn't roll, crawl, bum shuffle or move at all until 15 months and then she just got up and started walking. We spent months holding her hands and walking around killing our backs too.

One of my kids walked at 19 months and another at 20 months.

They were crawling at about 12/13 months.

My DS didn't pull up, crawl, or cruise at that age. He didn't/ couldn't walk if held. In fact he didn't start rolling until 12/ 13 months. We saw a paediatrician and we had a physio in the end and he was given a frame to stand in which he hated. As I recall DS also couldn't get himself from laying to sitting. We had assessments blood tests etc and no reason was found for the delay. He was walking at 21 months

Thanks for your reply discotastic. Can I ask what age was your little one when you were referred to the paediatrician and physiotherapist?

I can't remember when my DD first rolled but it was at the time one would expect, she was a bit late sitting (about 8months), now (at 14months) she can't get from laying to sitting.

She really does want to walk and loves walking when we hold her hands, she just doesn't have the strength or balance at the moment.

My DH was happy to sit on his own by 9 months I think but only if put in that position! I think the referrals started around 12 to 13 months. His fine motor skills were excellent by the way. It was a time of great concern and anxiety as there were no answers. He refused to bear weight on his legs in any form. He has just turned 4 and bounces around the house like a lunatic now!

I'd be tempted if I were you to go to the GP and ask for a referral (bearing in mind I think it's at least a 4 week wait round here...). When we discussed my daughter's delay in crawling/weight bearing with our HV at her 9m check, that was the next step anyway. GP basically said 'if you're saying you think she's potentially delayed, I'll refer you on to a paediatrician'. She was seen at about 10 months (wasn't crawling etc). Getting onward referrals from paediatrician to NHS physio etc obviously take more time.

As a slightly random other thought - if you think you might want to use private healthcare for physio for her, I'd find out about ones in your area. When I rang ours to try and sort it out - they didn't hold information about those which were specialist paediatric physios, so waited for me to say which one I'd like referring to....

PPs who have said to get appointments in the diary are right, as it's better to be prepared.

However, if it helps to reassure you, my DN wouldn't do anything of the sort either, and didn't walk until about 17-18 months. She's now 10 and a kung fu champion! Similarly my friend was very worried about her DS, but eventually he got the hang of it and is now running around at 3. So although you should get worries checked out, there are lots of kids who were like that and everything was fine - really hope yours is the same :)

We are in a similar position, although my son was very premature he's now 13 months corrected (from his due date) and can roll, just about sit himself up from lying down, but not much else.

We're under a Paediactric physio whose given us a few things to try but there's been no mention of tests etc just yet.

I hope you get any help she needs.

I would get this looked at for your own peace of mind if nothing else. It sounds like she can weight-bare which is the most important thing that they look for so that should be reassuring.
FWIW DS was doing nothing at all on his first birthday. Literally nothing except sitting. between 12.5 and 14 months, he bumshuffled, pulled up to standing, crawled and then walked reasonably confidently bang on 14mo, all in the space of about 5 weeks - it happened really fast when he decided to get mobile but he showed no signs of mobility much before then

Thanks everyone. I'll speak to our private healthcare people, for a
Physio I don't even need a GP referral under our scheme rules so should be able to get her seen very quickly.

She's always wanted to be standing from very early, long before she could sit, and so she was weight bearing from quite early on.

Once my son was weight bearing he made excellent progress.

My DS is very similar. 13mo, can't get himself to lying to sitting, won't pull up, has never crawled. Yet if we put him in place, will cruise for hours around furniture and walk around the house independently. Still completely unable to figure out getting himself there, mind. HV wasn't concerned & said she would only worry if he wasn't weight bearing. So try not to worry - as a PP said, he's gone from nothing to walking in about a month. Your DD may surprise you! But no harm booking appointments if it'll put your mind at rest

Discotastic - sorry to crash this thread but you said in one of your posts that your lo couldn't get from laying down to the sitting position. This is exactly the issue I had with my lo at 18 mo. He is being referred for tests as he also is not great at getting to the standing position. He can walk great, is steady on his feet and sits up strong but seems to have missed a step somewhere. I have been beside myself worrying he has some sort of muscle wasting disease and so it's reassuring to hear someone else had a similar situation and all turned out fine. I hope we have the same outcome. Thanks for sharing.

Hope all the tests go well jsy123 x

In truth, private healthcare Physiotherapists may not have much expertise in development issues. Go to your GP.

Just wanted to offer further reassurance. At whatever time they did the 12 month check (somewhere past 14 months if memory serves), ds was doing no getting up from lying to sitting, he couldn't walk until nearly 2, he sat with a very odd gait. It turned out that he is a bit hypermobile, but now, at 3, there is nothing to suggest that hypermobility.

Mine was like this. Didn't crawl till 15 months. She did a bit of commando belly crawling but wasn't that keen. Didn't get from lying to sitting till 15 months. LOVED walking around holding hands. Didn't walk independently till 18 months. My back was killing. I was terribly worried about it all. Now at 3 and a bit, while she isn't the most active physical toddler in the world you wouldn't know any difference from an average peer. She runs jumps climbs scoots etc. I took her to the GP. He said if they can weight bear they aren't worried. Give it a bit longer. She'll probably suddenly start walking. Mine went from not walking except holding two hands to walking about 10 steps across a room straightaway. She just wanted to be sure she could do it.

Loft653 - thank you!

I think it's reassuring that she is weight bearing and walking holding your hands. My DD was delayed with all her gross motor skill milestones and wouldn't crawl or weight bear at all by 16 months so we were referred to a paediatrician. She was first diagnosed as hypermobile and then a geneticist diagnosed her with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. Thanks to some piedro boots and physiotherapy she took her first steps at 21 months

JSY123 might DS most definitely got there in the end. And 2.5 / 3 years ago there wasn't any anecdotes that I found on here or any similar boards that most LOs didn't overcome any intial difficulties where it was only mobility of some sort an issue! In my experience.

Also his physio was great but I don't feel the input had any impact on the outcome. The progress he made was part of his development albeit slower than his peers iykwim.