Ladies,
I hope you can help me. My son just turned 1 on April 5th. He is 25lbs and in size 2T since he has a very long torso. He seems to be developing normally with the exception of one area...pulling himself up or standing. It's almost as if he has no muscle strength in his legs to stand. 9 times out of 10 that I try to get him to stand up his legs buckle under him and he refuses to stand. He does not crawl, he rolls over to get here and there and also does an army crawl on his back by bending his knees and moves around head first. He sits and plays contently for decent amounts of time and doesn't really seem to want to get anywhere else in a hurry.
At his 1 year check up the doctor said to take away his exersaucers, walkers, jumpers, etc. because they are inhibiting his development. He said if he isn't progressing by his 15 month check up that he would likely send him to physical therapy.
I sure could use some insight on this issue! What can I do to help him? Thank you.
hi L. b
My name is S.
I dont have kids but I have two newphs and they took there time in walking so dont give help him hold his hands and let him take his first steps that way.
relax, boys are much slower and my oldest son didn't walk on his own till almost 18months.
Skip the walkers, etc and just let him roam and don't push it.
Hi L.,
My son did the same thing with the army crawl, rolling etc... until he was around 11 months then he finally started pulling himself up onto furniture. We took away the exersaucer and never used a jumper and walked with him for what seemed like hours (and what an aching back!) He will be 15 months the first week in May and just started walking 2 weeks ago. It happened at 7:30pm as I was turning off the tv to take him up for his bath routine. I turned around and there he was walking across the living room like he was an old pro! His legs also buckled and he refused to stand for a long time. My adivce is for now, do not worry too much he is a boy and they develop much later. If at 15 months there is no improvement than take your Dr's advice. But in the meantime walk with him and keep him barefoot too. I couldn't understand why my lil guy would not keep his socks on until I saw that he wanted to walk and the socks were causing him to not walk. He will walk when he is ready.... also, he will walk in shoes that are fitting, not loose but snug. They have to fit just right.
Good luck!
Chris
Do exactly what the doctor said. Lots and lots of floor time. Put things out of his reach to encourage him to go for them. Also, try to get him around other babies and kids that are standing and walking if he is not already. My doctor also told me that exersaucers and walkers slow down their natural development to crawl, stand and walk. Hang in there and try not to worry too much. He may not have much strength in his legs right now because he has not been using them. I'm sure he'll be fine. :)
Hi L.,
Not sure if your son has this or not but I wanted to make you aware, my son who is now 18yrs old,was born with Developmental Dyspraxia which is low muscle tone, we didn't find this out until he was 5 already in school, the doctor kept saying he is a slow learner or he is lazy, he did not walk on his own until he was 18 months,well that was back in 1990 my first child and I trusted my family doc who took care of me when I was small. well times have certainly changed I wish I knew then what I know now, don't hesitate take him to a specalist(Dupont Hospital) I would suggest if its possible just to rule out things, low mucle is tone is no big deal but the quicker you get him into therapy the quicker it will be fixed my son was 8 before he could tie his shoes he is he could not do a sit up he is fine now but it was a long road that coulf of been avoided if caught and addressed earlier. Good luck with your son M.
I do not want to scare you but has your son been checked for a hernia. My cousins son had the same problem. Would not stand or crawl and if you tried to stand him up he would pull his legs up. She was told the same thing and later found out he had a double hernia. They said it is very common in bigger babies.
I hope this helps you and for your sake hope it is something else.
Hi L.,
Many larger babies don't move as quickly as smaller babies. I have friends whose babies didn't walk until they were 15-18 months. I would say try to do things to entice him to move/crawl so that he is building up his muscle strength. With our son, we used to put a row of cheerios on the floor in front of him so that eventually he had to crawl to be able to reach them. He would reach and reach and eventually fall forward to try and reach them. There are something like 35 different recognized types of crawling - and the commando crawl is one of them - so if your son is doing the commando crawl, then he is crawling. Many babies never do the "typical" crawl. My son always crawled with one leg and would push himself with the other. I have found that babies who are larger tend to move later - probably because it takes so much strength/effort to move themselves.
Congrats on your son's first birthday!
J.
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First of all, don't worry that your son isn't walking yet! Mine didn't start until he was almost 14 months old. I would however start to "teach" him how to crawl. Start by placing him on his belly and then help him support his weight on his hands and knees. While some children never learn to crawl, he really should at least be attempting to do one or the other. I have a question for you as well...how much is your child eating during the day? Right now, your 12 month old is as big as my 21 month old (and he is in the 50% for weight). Now I'm sure part of the weight is due to him not crawling or walking (and he will loose a lot of that weight once he starts one or the other) the weight may also be making it more difficult to do these activities. If he still isn't crawling or walking at 15 months I would also talk to your peditrician about his food intake.
I agree with everyone here. Our son was not in a hurry to walk either. We got two activity tables and strategically placed them within reach of each other and the couch, chair, and windowsill. Eventually, we added space between them to encourage him to balance between them. The music table and the stacker table are high enough up that he wanted to stand to play with them. Hope this helps, B
Hi L.,
My son was developmentally delayed and we went through Alliance for infants and toddlers. It is a free service through the state. They were fantastic! They will come to your house and do an evaluation for your son. They will then determine what services would best fit your child. They came to my house twice a month and did his therapy right there! It was great! The best part is that within less than a year he was all caught up. I hope this helps.
Hi L.,
I was in a very similar situation, but at my son's 12 month visit his doctor referred us to a state funded child development clinic. They tested him and then began sending a physical therapist to our home every week. All she did were simple exercises to help him learn to pull up and then walk. Things I could do too, like letting him pull up on my fingers and standing against furniture and motivating him to walk toward toys. She did not teach how to crawl, because he was so efficient at scooting around in his own way. Anyway, he was walking by 15 months, and she even taught him how to go up and down the steps. I am sure that even without the therapy he would have eventually done it on his own, but the therapy certainly moved things along.
N.
My mom says I didn't crawl, pull myself up, or walk until 16 months. I just sat around and got fatter and fatter. Then, at 16 months, I up and crawled. If your Dr. doesn't seem too concerned, I wouldn't worry too much about it.
L.-My 1st daughter was big for her age as well. She didn't have any interrest in walking on her 1st birthday. Even when we tried to hold her hands and walk, most of the time she would just sit down. By the time she was 14mo. she was walking/running around the house. Give your son a little more time. You could also find some toys that he can hold on to to help him walk or pull himself up on that he will enjoy playing with. Don't drive youself crazy thinking about it. All kids walk in their own time and that's when you need to worry about what they will get into.
L.,
I have 3 1/2 year old twins and your son sounds like a combination of both of them! My son is/was big for their age and while he was a climber, he absolutely refused to walk with us holding both his hands. He would just let himself be a dead weight or pull his legs up so he wouldn't be standing. My daughter "scooted" on her back everywhere, arching and pushing with her legs and arms to the point of having a bald spot on the back of head!
Every kid develops at different rates; the most important thing is to ensure his muscle tone good. If it's good, he'll do it in his own time. He also may be concentrating on other skills more heavily (i.e. fine motor skills, speech, etc.).
Ped wanted to send the twins for developmental testing at their 15-month appointment, but we refused since they were developing well ahead of schedule on everything else and their muscle tone was good. The next day my son took his first steps! We think he just wanted to do it all by himself with no help. My daughter took her first steps 3 months later.
Suggestions for encouraging him to pull himself up: Put a couple of his favorite toys/items up on the couch or table just out of reach; same with a favorite snack. Get a Mylar balloon with a long ribbon (show him how fun it is to play with the balloon) and cut the ribbon to a length where he has to pull himself up to reach it (be sure to watch him with the ribbon!). You'll have to let him get a little frustrated and maybe show him how to do it for himself a couple times. Once he starts pulling himself up, he'll do fine on his own.
BTW, the Mylar balloon works great for when they start the Houdini maneuver during diaper changes. I used to get one every couple weeks and leave it over the changing area; the only time they were allowed to play with it was during diaper changes and it kept them still!
If he's reaching to get items, finding a way to get around on his own and his muscle tone is good, I wouldn't stress too much about his not walking yet.
Good luck.
My daughter was much the same, taller for her age. My husband being 6'5" is a conrtibuting factor. We were advised to purchase a JUMPAROO. She loved bouncing in this and strenghthened her legs as well. She is now 4 years old and 3'11".
My son was similar to yours at one year (except that he was small for his age) -- he kind of did a crab thing on his back, scooting around to reach for things, didn't pull up or get from his tummy into a sitting position. He also couldn't sit very reliably on his own for long. Eventually, we discovered the problem to be low tone (hypotonia) throughout his body. Physical therapy and later occupational therapy finally got him going (crawling at 17 mo., walking at 19), but at 3 he's still behind in gross motor skills. So, please take all the good advice others have given here for motivating your son to exert himself -- you'll have a jump on the physical therapy, if it turns out he needs it. I hope he's just a late bloomer like the other little ones mentioned here. Good luck!
Don't relax. Even though he may be perfectly ok, if you have one iota of doubt in your head about his development, call Early Intervention in your county. The evaluation is free and you are entitled to it if you are concerned. Sounds like it would be worth a phone call! Good luck!! (By the way, I have my son in EI for a few months b/c he didn't roll or crawl either. At 12 months he crawled and then at 13 months, he walked.)
Hi L.,
Your doctor gave you the right advice. There are so many gizmos and gadgets these days to put our children in....that our children are not developing strong leg muscles to actually move themselves around.
I know that the exercausers, etc. can be a "lifesaver" in keeping our babies occupied....but they really do a dis-service in muscle development. I would get rid of everything that the doctor said.....now he has 3 months to develop his muscles and learn to crawl, stand, etc.
Best of luck to you.
-L.
Hey L.,
My first son took his good old time walking (didn't walk on his own until 15 months). He is now 5 and I can't stop him running. My second son started walking between 13 and 14 months - he is now 2 and runs everywhere. My first never crawled - he did the butt scoot. My second son scooted for a little while, then crawled for a short time before walking
I would be less concerned about your son not walking yet...some babies (especially boys) take their time in this area. Help your child focus on pulling himself up. Put a toy on your coffee table/couch and have him reach for it. If the toy doesn't work - toss some cheerios up there : ) Encourage him to walk/build leg strength by holding his hands and "walking" him around. Eventually - it will work.
I wish you all the best!!
My daughter rolled from place to place to get things. She never really crawled at all and she also did the army crawl. She was a late walker, started pulling up on things around 13-14 months and then started walking at 15 months. She was a wobbly little thing for the longest time, but she is 4 now and has no problems walking or running. She isn't the most coordinated thing but she is smart as a whistle so that makes up for it all.
He might just be late like her. As long as she could get what she wanted, she did not care to do it any other way. I am sure he will pick it up soon enough. I agree with the Doc at leaving him out of his Jumper and exersaucer. He might find he wants to be upright nad help himself to do this since you are not giving him that the easy way with the different toys. Good luck to you and your Son. I am sure he will be fine.
Hi
My son started walking at 14 months and all his other buddies were already walking....one tip I received from a YMCA instructor at his play class that really helped was, have him stand in front of you so you are both facing the same way, hold a hula hoop vertically so he can grab the bottom section. This seemed to give my son the support he needed and he did not have to physically hold onto my fingers. Within a week he was walking around. I am not a physical therapist but this seemed to do the trick...
good luck
Hi L.,
I work in a day care facility, and I have a 13 month old son. We currently have 2 babies under our care that have been diagnosed with Low Muscle Tone. One child is about 10 months old and has just begun pulling himself around on the floor (commando style) and the other is a 17 month old girl who has just learned to crawl. Both children have had no interest in holding bottles and they have very stiff and straight backs. The younger of the 2 cannot sit up unassisted and the older will not even attempt to feed herself. I have also noticed that neither child has developed vocally either. Does your son have any of these issues as well? If so, you may want to ask your physician about this possibility. I don't think it's a long term issue. They just need a little more time to catch up with the other kids, nothing a little therapy can't fix. These kids have state provided therapists that work with them twice a week in the day care and at home.
I hope everything works out for you! Please let us know how your son is progressing.
God Bless You,
J.
I wouldn't stress too much about it yet. Some kids take longer to walk and stuff. 25 pounds at 12 months is on the large side for a child. That's allot of weight for a child hoist up. My oldest and one of my triplets were that way. They worked hard though to crawl and walk. One of my triplets had no interest to do a thing. We called him our lazy one, lol. You may have a combination of the two. He just wants to do things when he's ready, and he's got allot of weight to work with. The doc is right to have you take things away. Some kids may skip the "traditional" crawl, so don't worry about that. Work on holding his hands to strengthen his muscles to stand. If he'll walk with you while holding hands, do that often as well. It'll take time but he will strengthen and get interest in standing and then walking. He may just be a late bloomer. That's why the doc gave him to 15 months, as some kids take longer. Work with him standing, making him do as much of the work as possible, bare foot and light comfortable clothes. He'll get there!
K. B
mom to 5 including triplets
I had the same exact concern, at 1 year old my son still was not crawling, much less walking. He did the same thing with his kness buckling. When we had our one year appt., the Dr didn't seem concerned and she actually got him to stand. She basically said that he was just a very content, laid back baby and didn't need to go anywhere. He was also a few weeks premature so she said to use his original due date and she told me that I would probably see very quick progress within the next few weeks. She was right!! Within the next two to three weeks, right around his original due date he started crawling and pulling himelf up and doing all the things I was so concerned about. Then as we were approaching his 15 month, I had the same concerns about his walking, she told me the same thing. That he was just cautious and that he would just get up and walk one day without a problem. She was right again, two weeks later at 15 1/2 months he stood up, started walking and never fell down. So, always check with your Dr to make sure they think he seems fine and if they do, just accept that each baby goes at their own pace.
Hi L.,
My friend went through the same issue with her son. Her pediatrician waited until he was 18 months to refer him for physician therapy. It is normal not to be walking at 12 months, but he should be able to support his weight. If you are concerned, I would ask the doctor to set you up for an eval with a PT. They can usually do in home evaluations for children, and sometimes will do the PT in your home as well, since it is comfortable for the child. The good news is, that my friend's son is now 2 and is all over the place. If you would like to talk to her, just let me know and I can put you two in contact. Good luck.
