Nearly 18 months and showing no signs of crawling!

[zippytiptoes]

Our daughter is 17 months old and came out of her hip spica in Oct 09. Since then, she had to wear the Rhino harness all the time, then at a reduced rate, then just at bed time. She now wears no brace and hasn't for the last three months.

During this time she has shown no signs of crawling or walking. She is happy to sit and play though occasionaly just keels over backwards. We saw the consultant in April who seemed pleased that her hip was back where it should be, but seemed mildly confused at the fact that she wasn't crawling. We have to go back in June.

She shuffles around on her bottom quite competently, but refuses to crawl. She doesn't pull up against the furniture or any of the walking framed toys she has. We do try her on her front, but honestly, she just looks like a beetle that has fallen on it's back(except on her front!)...helpless and unable to move.

Lots of people have been asking me recently in that well meaning, but panic inducing way "Is she not walking yet?" and lots of people say "My kid didn't walk until they were 16/17/18 months anyway and they didnt have hip dysplasia".

I have been quite cool until now thinking she'll do stuff in her own time, but I'm starting to feel a little bit concerned.

Can anyone give me any reassurance or let me know when and if your little ones started the whole crawling/walking thing?

Can anyone suggest anything I can do or buy to encourage her to walk?

I have also placed this on the STEPS forum but received little response.

Thanks a lot

I've not got any experience of hip dysplasia, but have got several friends with bum shuffling babies.
Several of the bum shufflers simply never bothered to crawl - just went straight from their bums to walking.
If your DD is getting around effectively by bum shuffling then she doesn't have much incentive to crawl, so doesn't need to learn.

As to encouraging walking, one idea would be to beg/buy/borrow a Jumperoo bouncer, to get her to enjoy the sensation of being upright and taking some weight on her legs.

Thanks. I got one on freecycle but she hated it. I don't know if it hurt her hip or she was just a bit big for it?

I'm sure she'll get the hang of walkin gwhen she's good and ready. Perhaps ask the consultant in June if there's anything you can do to help.

Friend of mine's DS didn't crawl, didn't really bum shuffle much and was not interested in pulling up on furniture. When he was 15 months old and still "immobile" she spoke to HV, who refered him to physio. They gave him some exercises (simple stuff, like kneeling by a low table) and he had to go to see physio every fortnight. He is 20 months now and has been "signed off" by physio. He can now walk/pull up etc, but doesn;t much. Diagnosis is "lazy".

My ds didn't start walking till he was two years old and certainly didn't do much crawling before that, my other dc started walking at 11 months and 18 months, so I know from experience that they do it when they are ready. I've always accepted that had to put up with people surprised I am not worrying. I think if the baby has physical reasons they will be picked up on and if there are none , then they may just well be "late" walkers. Ds is 2 and 3 months and does still walk less confidently that other two year olds but he has had alot less practice and will get there. I did buy a baby walker and a bouncer for my first child, but dd didn't start walking till 18 months and the dd who had no walking aids started by her own at 11 months.

Hi, my brother didn't walk till 20 months and he had no hip problems to contend with. A friend of mine didn't walk till she was 2 and no physical complications. I know it's hardnot to worry but she will do it when ready. My dd showed no signs of crawling, unlike my ds, who would roll get on all 4s and rock backwards and forwards before he actually crawled. Dd didn't roll, she just used to sit there and one day she crawled 3 foot to get some keys. So sometimes they just surprise you. Keep us posted, I'm sure there will be lots of others with stories of late walkers without the added hip probs you've had.