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Hypermobility in baby

5 replies

Myusername2015 · 25/07/2018 17:59

Hi all; I’ve found some old threads on hypermobility wondered if anyone had any experience? My 13 month old son is delayed with gross motor (no issues with fine/language or hearing) he can now sit and just about roll but nowhere near crawling or weight bearing at all. He is very cautious about any movement. I’ve got a referral to the community paeds. I saw a physio this week who said she suspects he is highly Hypermobile. Does anyone have any experience here that could advise when your Hypermobile child started crawling/walking? I’m so worried he won’t be able to Sad

OP posts:
LightTripper · 25/07/2018 20:45

He definitely will be able to eventually! Try not to worry.

We had physio for my daughter from about 15 months I think. She never crawled (she was a bum shuffler), but she did everything in a rush together. From memory she started walking with us holding both hands at 18 months, pulling to stand at about 19 months, then walking holding on to one hand and then just a finger at about the same time. Within a couple of weeks she was standing unaided. She started to walk unaided at 20 months.

She has continued to be behind on most gross motor skills (took a long time to go upstairs foot over foot, rather than always leading with the same foot, and even longer to go down foot over foot), but she got there eventually. Now at 4 she is still a bit behind most of her peers on gross motor, but she is learning to swim, scoots VERY fast, climbs up things and jumps off them, has just learned to ride a pedal bike, etc. So she's really doing OK. She still doesn't really like crawling Grin.

I think what made a difference for her was taking her to Gymboree and just encouraging her (even pushing her) to try physical things a bit outside her comfort zone (but that we knew she could do). We've also just really encouraged anything physical that she did like to do (balancing, dancing, anything even slightly physical that we could encourage and build on). That built her confidence and her muscles, so now she can do most things (though I'd say she is still physically cautious ... but I think her proprioception is pretty rubbish too, which she got from me, so it will be a mixture of factors).

If I remember right the first exercises we started doing with her with physio were just encouraging her to reach out of her centre of gravity - so just hold a toy that he wants slightly further away so he has to lean forwards or sideways a little bit to reach it. Then after time we would put toys slightly under the coffee table so she had to reach under to get them, that kind of thing. We also got a blow up cow thing that she could sit on - which is just slightly unstable so it helps with their core strength, and it also started to give her the feeling of bearing a tiny bit of weight through her legs. Slowly slowly it just builds their core strength up and gets them used to weight bearing until they have the stability to be able to hit all the gross motor milestones. Because their joints are looser, they just need to develop stronger muscles to do all that stuff (whereas kids with hypermobility often also seem to have lower muscle tone, which is annoying).

He will definitely get there eventually - it just takes time and patience!

Myusername2015 · 25/07/2018 21:25

Thank you so much for your reply you’ve made me feel so much better. It’s hard when he’s the only little one out of his friends not moving at all to think the worse so that’s really made me feel better thank you Flowers

OP posts:
StillMedusa · 31/07/2018 00:27

My DS2 had delayed milestones.. sat at 12 months. Commando crawled at about 16 months and walked at 2. He was ridiculously hypermobile.

He had Piedro boots, then AFOs (splints) and physio.

He has remained hypermobile except his achilles and hamstrings which became quite tight. Walks ok (still wears splints) and while his coordination has never been good, he gets around ok :) He used to use a wheelchair but doesn't any more .

cakesandphotos · 06/02/2019 10:29

I realise this thread is a bit old but I’m so encouraged to read it! My 12 month old seems to be hypermobile but the waiting list for the community paeds is long so we went privately. He’s not crawling but does weight bear.
He’s the only one of his peers not at all mobile and it makes me feel like I’ve done/not done something. This thread makes me feel like I’m not alone

SushiNushi · 14/02/2019 17:10

cakes, it was great to read your message. We're in a similar boat. DC is 14 months today and isn't mobile, other than rolling. It's killing me seeing all her peers toddling when she can't get around. She was late to sit at 9 months, late to roll, doesn't pull up etc. She stands well but can't seem to keep her legs together for very long. The pediatrician said she probably has low muscle tone. I don't much about it but I wonder if she is hypermobile too...

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