Concerned about 14 month old...

[Happymummy2013]

This is my 1st time posting on here and hope someone can help. My little girl will be 15 months soon. She is a big girl and ive always been concerned about her size. She is way bigger than other babies her age and is also slow at developing.

However, i have spoken to ppl (dr and dietician) and am confident she has a healthy, balanced diet. I am very careful. I am just starting to worry again though. She isnt walking and shows no interest in pulling herself up. She'll stand if i prop her up but often resists this and seems to dislike bending her legs. She has never wanted to bounce like other babies.

Today though, she made me think again that she just doesnt have an 'off' switch when it comes to food. She will keep asking for more if its there (ie if my husband and i are eating with her) she also seems to want to eat anything!! She grabbed a wedge of lemon today and before i knew it she had chomped half of it, almost choked on the skin but once id removed it she wanted it back!! I fear that if i lleave her to it she would just go on and on and now im worried again that im doing something wrong!! Im concerned for her health!

Does anyone else have a baby like this?

Can you get her checked for being double jointed? It's common . Often babies can't hold their own body weight if double jointed. How was her 1 year check??

I actually wasnt aware of that! Sheis extrememly flexible and im always amazed at how bendy she is so could be a point. Thank you.

It would help to know how big she is. Where on the centiles is she and how big are you and DH?

Normal is a wide variant with kids. Dd for example is 10.5m. Bf until 7m. Has always hugged 91-98th centile for weight and 98-99.8th for height. She's big. In 12-18m clothes and starting to grow out of them. She eats loads, but a good variety. She's about 10.5kg. She is in no way overweight.

She's noticeably behind where DS was for gross motor skills but she's a girl and she's bigger. Bigger babies tend to walk later - there's more for them to shift around! She is however standing and minimally cruising when she can be bothered.

What I'm saying is this may all be normal. But there's no harm in asking a health professional for an opinion. Far better to get help early if there is a problem with muscles, hips or ligament flexibility.

The only kind of excessive eating condition that I know of is Prada-Willi syndrome, which does seem to manifest itself with excessive eating and low muscle tone. Having said that, it is VERY rare. I have an 11 month old girl that seems to want to eat everything in sight too (she is also big and was born weighing 11lb5ozs) but I put that down to the fact that she is interested in food/texture/exploring. If she was not bearing any weight on her legs at all then I would probably get a second opinion. Do try not to worry too much though, all babies are different. My nephew hated weight bearing on his legs too and walked at 18 months, he is 4 now and has no health concerns

Thank you. Tbh it is prada willi that is playing on my mind. She was 6lb 9 when born so small. Then just shot up (BF for 3 weeks then formula) she is now just over 26lb and in 98th centile. Since she started crawling (which she did late at 10 months) her weight gain has slowed and she has dropped from 99th.

The dr and hv are a little useless and tell me just to come back if not walking by 18 months. My brother and i were aprrarantly 17 months which reassures me a little.

It just seems like she doesnt know what to do with her legs. She just locks them!! I am normal weight. 9 st 9 and 5 ft 5 and husband is tall 6ft 3 and healthy weight.

Its just the desperation she seems to display when food is around. When she cant see it she's fine but if its there she'll go mental!!

TBH from what you have written she sounds normal and perhaps taking after daddy in size. What is her length in relation to her weight? remember ALL of the centile chart is normal.

I have big babies my son is close to the 98th centile and he was breast fed. He commando crawled at 10 months normal crawling at 12 and first steps at 15 months. He never really cruised and started walking when he suddenly learned to stand in the middle of the room rather than pulling himself up.

If she can bear weight through her legs at 14 months that is really good and it is to soon to tell if there is something else going on. Hyper mobile babies can have problems but many walk before 18 months so another reason professionals wait.

Just from reading the NHs pages about PWS it doesn't sound like it is as they are often underweight till one and have severe hypotonia meaning many can't even sit till 12 months. If that is your concern come right out and say it to your GP so they can reassure or investigate.

You've all been extremely heplful. Thank you. Pleased i came across this board!

If you're concerned and your gp and HV aren't helping, and if you can afford it, why not see a paed physio or a paediatrician privately.

Theres a checklist for Prader-Willi about half way down the page. There is also a genetic test which you could ask for if it's going to reassure you.

From what you've said, I think she just likes food and is going to be tall like her daddy. Hope you get some reassurance soon.

My DD just turned 16 months and is also a big - extremely tall and was 25lb 10 at 14 months so probably a bit more than this now. Her motor skills are not an issue as she crawled and walked early so size hasn't stopped her, but she reminds me of your daughter in terms of eating. She is always hungry, she eats loads at her meals and still looks for snacks in between. I am confident her diet is healthy, but I also worry that she eats way more than others her age. I try not to worry because she is happy and developing well, I think bigger children will be hungrier than others.