HI Im new to this site but feel I need some advice from somewhere as I am so worried.
My niece is 17 months and can only sit, a sweet little thing very quiet and not very demanding at all, she has always slept a lot. She has a terribly misshapen head which the HV and doctor apparently says will sort itself out as she gets older but it is very severe, I think she got it because she has hardly ever really moved much and slept so much. They weren't offered any treatment for it and were told that they didn't really advise the helmets as they didnt work and are very expensive so a waste of money so they didnt go down that route.
As a baby she was sort of soft to hold I can remember thinking she wasnt like my children. She was about 8 months when she sat on her own.
She eats well, can finger feed herself, has good eye contact, didnt smile much at first but smiles more readily now and laughs. She comes across as a very gentle little thing, no trouble at all. Too good really in some ways. She doesn't say much but does seem to understand what you say. She's interested in things in a quiet sort of way but is quite happy to just sit.
My main concern is that she doesnt move at all. She just sits, she can reach forward to grab things but if they are out of her reach she just cries. Its as if she doesnt want to use her legs. She can stand on her legs with support if encouraged but doesnt like it and wants to be picked up. She wont walk if you hold her hands. Shes sort of wobbly from the hips as if she hasnt the strength. She can lock her knees. She doesnt crawl or bum shuffle and doesnt pull herself up. She cant even get herself into a sitting position if she is lying down. She can roll onto her side but wont roll onto her front. If you put her on her front she rolls onto her back and then lays there.
I have tried to bring it up several times with my sister but she just says that she has been told by the HV that she will do it in her own time therefore shes not concerned. I think she is annoyed with me for mentioning it. Surely its time to have her checked out but its as if my sister is denying anything is wrong. Am I wrong to worry. I don't want to upset my sister, I think she thinks I am just comparing my children to her. Its so difficult. I do so hope that she is just taking her time but I find it so worrying. When will anyone be concerned? Shes not due to see anyone until she's about 2.
I have read that this flat head can cause developmental delays but my sister was told that that wasnt true by her doctor and HV so I dont like to say anything.
Has anyone else had these problems. How much should I say or should I just wait and leave it up to them? I cant understand why my sister isnt worried. She didnt seem worried about the head either I think because the medical profession seem to make light of everything. I suppose we all hear what we want to hear at times. Maybe the medical profession is right, I do hope so, as I feel they are wasting precious time, surely the earlier you get help the better. Do you think it is a matter of saving money in the NHS that they leave things so long. Do you have to push for help or is it just where you live in the country as to how much help you get?
Has anyone had a child like this at this age and then everything turned out OK?