Bow Legs??

I did that with my kiddo all the time, from my understanding it is a good thing to do in moderation ... MODERATION being the key right now tummy/floor time is more important.

There is nothing wrong with her holding her up...she should be putting weight on her legs to help her get ready to crawl and then walk...just relax Mama...she'll be fine!

-M

Here is what I found:

"Most children have bowing of the legs until the age of 2 - 3 years old. This is caused by the many months babies spend inside their mother’s uterus with their little legs folded up. During the first two years the legs usually straighten out and by the time a child is three to four years, he or she will normally develop a slightly knock-kneed alignment. This corrects itself by the time the child is five or six years of age. . The normal progression then is bowlegs-to-straight, to-knock-knees-to-straight once more. On occasion, the bowing never fully corrects and that is why some adults have bowed legs. This type is known as physiologic bowing and does not usually require any treatment other than observation.

Pediatricians are frequently asked if allowing a baby to stand up before he or she is walking will cause their legs to bow. Actually, the opposite is true: standing on the legs stimulates them to straighten! For parents whose child is bow-legged, the best advice is to adopt a “wait and see” approach. If the legs do not seem to be straightening out by the 2nd or 3rd birthday, be sure to mention it to the child’s doctor at the next well-child visit.

While physiologic bowing (part of normal development) will improve as the child grows without treatment, pathologic bowing (due to some disease process) will tend to worsen over time without treatment. In the overwhelming majority of cases the bowing is physiologic and not pathologic.

Some disease processes effecting bone growth can cause pathologic bowing. One disease known to cause bowing of the legs is Blount's disease. With this condition, there is an abrupt deformity at the top of the lower leg just below the knee. The onset of Blount’s Disease is before age five and the bowing continues to get worse instead of resolving on its own. It is unclear exactly what causes this condition, but it may have an underlying mechanical cause as it seems to happen more in obese children who walked early.

Another process than can cause bowing of the legs is Rickets a disease effecting Vitamin D metabolism, which is vital for bone mineralization. Dietary deficiency of Vitamin D is the most recognized form of rickets and fortunately it is nearly unheard of in the United States.

In conclusion, most children have bowing of the legs at birth which corrects itself by age two years. A significant bowing may occur at age three prior to spontaneous correction by age seven. No treatment is indicated unless the deformities are severe, progressive, or due to a medical condition."

She is 5 MONTHS....making her "stand" only improves her muscle tone and encourages standing. Where do you get that her legs will "bow"? My husband held my DD like this and she was walking at 8 months and does not have "bow" legs. You want to always encourage these little people to do all that they can do....(without overdoing, of course)

The idea that helping your child stand at this age will cause bowing is a very commonly held misconception. Most children do have bowing legs at that age, as it is a normal part of growth. Practing standing is also a normal part of development. She'll let you know if it's bad for her. It'll hurt!

I was helping my baby stand on his legs when he was a few months and a friend told me that I could cause him to be bow legged. So, I asked my doctor and he said that it was an old wive's tale.

He also said that many babies will be bow legged and grow out of it by the time they are two.

So, you do not need to be concerned.

Tell her not to do it! It is too early to make her stand! Take care of your child.

My boys loved doing that... and they did it as young as about 9 weeks. Short doses of it helps build muscle, and many babies enjoy it, so long as she is still being supported.

My baby had the strongest little legs I've ever seen and she wasn't happy if she wasn't upright.
Not only didn't she have bowed legs, she was walking at 7 months.
She just came out ready to go.
She walked before she crawled or could even sit up by herself. She had no interest in it.
I wouldn't worry too much.
Little ones standing and holding onto your fingers or something is a preclude to cruising along furniture etc.
I think it should be okay.

Best wishes.

One of the best parent-baby classes I ever took was through RIE:

http://www.rie.org

I took it at Hari's RIE studio.

http://www.harisriestudio.com

The first class I ever took they talked about the importance of allowing a child's natural physical development and not "helping" them skip stages. I had read some of the studies on the importance of crawling to mental development, not just physical development. But I was surprised to learn that a child's natural trajectory of development was crawling, then sitting, then walking.

My daughter was text book. She crawled at 7 months, sat at 7.5 months, took her first steps at 9 months and was a solid, confident walker by 12 months.

You are right to be concerned about your daughter's health. There are so many muscles that need to develop to allow her to naturally pull herself into upright positions and forcing her into these positions ahead of time may cause strain and in fact impede both her physical and mental development.

Can't recommend Hari's studio highly enough. I took classes with Hari and Catriona and am so grateful for their support and guidance. Made some wonderful friendships with the other mothers as a bonus to everything else.

Lots of Mamas brought their nannies in for training in the proper techniques of handling a baby. Yours might benefit from the classes as well.

as long as DD gets tummy time and is not "standing" all the time she should be ok. She should be standing on her own soon anyway and some babies start sooner so as long as DD like it, you should't worry. :)

First I had to do quick math to figure out how old your baby was! lol
she's 4 months mama...it's okay for her to be standing. My son was pulling himself up at 5...so not much older than yours. And bless his heart he was walking at 7 months!! BLAH!
Your nanny is fine standing her up...heck, I stand up my little one every once in a while and she is only 7 weeks!
L.

My son had bowed legs from birth. I have bowed legs. I'm no expert, but I'm sure it's genetic and nothing for you to worry about. :) I would just be happy that your nanny is an interactive nanny. I've also heard that scientist have reversed there verdict on skipping the crawling stage, and I'm not sure that it has anything to do with standing in care-givers' laps. My son did this, my friend's son did this, ... I've seen lots of adult do this with babies and they still crawled with no problem. Babies/kids' bodies are stronger than you think, and nature is a powerful force. I know it's easier said than done, but try not to over-obsess about these things. And try not to micro-manage your nanny. I think it's important for your nanny to like being a nanny to your kid. :) ... Straight talk, but these are my thoughts.

I think that your daughter is going to be just fine. Unless she is left in a jumper all day, or constantly doing this, there is really no harm. If you are really really worried about it - ask your nanny not to do it. Just tell her your pedi warned against it.

Please do not let her do this. I have first hand experience on how bad this is. My co-workers mother kept doing this with her first grandchild. She then advanced to putting his feet on the floor and moving his legs to simulate walking. Well, it worked and he started walking at a very early age but unfortunately never crawled. Now at 8 years old, he has learning disabilities, ADHD and a host of other problems. While they can't say for sure, they think it is from the missed development that kids get when they crawl. So, I would check with your doctor, but I feel in my heart, that not crawling caused unnecessary issues for this kid. M.

No, it's actually a good thing. Your daughter is five months old, and she should be building strength in all parts of her body.