Anyone got any late bloomers? (child milestones)

kirstle99

Hi All

I was just looking for advice for anyone who is/has been in the same situation as me really. I'm not paniking, more just making sure i'm doing all I should be to encourage DS2.

DS2 is 20 months. As far as physical developmental milestones go, I believe he was at the later end of the scale for everything. He didn't sit up unaided until 9 1/2 months, he didn't crawl until 11 1/2 months, standing was at 13 months, and since then he's become really active but would rather crawl eveywhere than make the effort to try & walk (typical man I think!)

He will walk holding either two hands or one hand, but is still unsteady on his feet (he has got clarks 1st shoes, the smallest ones they do!)

He is pulling himself up and cruising around the furniture on his own, and can climb onto the dining chair by himself (much to my shock). He uses a walker at home but gets frustrated when he can't turn it around by himself and gives up!

He will be 2 at the end of June. The question is, should I be worried? I know some kids are later than others (DS1 didn't walk until he was 19 months).

Speech wise he is doing brilliant, he says mummy, daddy, oh no, oops, shoes, hiya, bye bye, night night amongst other things, and will join in on at least 5 numbers when I count with him up to 10.

He attends nursery full time, 5 days a week. He is currently being monitored by the local hospital because he suffers from consipation and his weight is on the lowest centile on the weight chart of the red book.

I'm wondering if this is partly why he's not confident walking, because he's so small? Therefore doesn't have the 'beef' behind him to balance. I do know he gets tummy ache if he's especially backed up so maybe he doesn't want to stand up straight to walk because it hurts him?

I have a hospital appointment this week so I was just after advice as to what I should be asking while i'm there/ Nursery have been really supportive and are encouraging him all the time and are giving me a food diary to take with me.

Thanks in advance

pinkshoes

Weight should have nothing to do with ability to walk, and often the lighter the better. My neighbour was absolutely tiny and walked at 10 months!

I'd start with perhaps not using the walker, as this isn't encouraging him to walk on his own, and they can actually hinder walking development rather than help it, as they don't develop the balance and the muscles.

I'd perhaps have a chat to the health visitor about it, and they'll give you some good advice.

I didn't walk until 19 months

vicx

The average age for children to walk is 12 months but all children are different and will walk in their own time.

My neice will be 1 in 2 weeks, she has been sitting up from a very early age. She then started crawling around 6 months old and soon started to pull herself up. She has Clarks crawling shoes as she is still not walking, she can only hold her balance for a few seconds and managed to take a few steps a few days ago. We all thought she would walk at 9 months, she knows what to do with her feet and will walk if you hold her hand/s but has problems balancing, I thought it might be due to her being small.

My cousins son was born on the same day as my neice and weighed a few more lbs. He was very late at sitting up, crawling and pulling himself up and has been walking for one week now. He has Clarks first shoes but walked better without them.

My friends daugher was 1 year old yesterday, she is still not walking or even crawling and has only been able to sit up for a few weeks. She was very small born but is probably double my neices weight now so I don't think weight is a problem with balance and walking. They are all different and will walk in their own time however I would speak with your health visitor to raise any concerns.

I also agree that the walker should be taken away now that he knows what to do with his feet as it is not helping him walk or balance on his own. Once he gets his balance he will be away then the trouble starts

kirstle99

Thanks for your replies. I know he will do it in his own time and he does know what to do with his feet so i'm thinking that he just needs to get more confidence in balancing.

To be honest he doesn't use the walker unless we remind him it's there so I will take it away.

I'm excited about him walking, and I think it's probably a case of lazyitis because crawling is faster hehe

pigpen

It may be nothing and he is just a lazy bones.. but... it may be work seeing the orthopaedic consultant at the hospital a small deviation from normal in the feet can make walking difficult or a slight hip dysplasia can too. A physiotherapist assessment might help too.

Given he is tiny, suffers constipation and is late it may be worth seeing about an MRI to rule out other conditions such as cerebral palsy.. not to worry you but to put your mind at rest, it is likely to be nothing.

However, it is unlikely they will do anything until he is 2 and not walking.

fozziebeartoo

My eldest DD was slow to reach many milestones eg she was 14 months before she walked.....finally I moved the furniture around so she couldn't "cruise" and actually had to take proper steps....

When the furniture wasnt conveniently positioned to suit her, she simply shrugged her shoulders and walked properly.



She was also underweight, constipated, slow to read, lacking co-ordination etc etc.

Now she works full time, is doing an OU degree and getting married in the summer......and it's only me that remembers she had a slower start than most others!

kirstle99

I will ask the doctor about that when we go this week, thank you pigpen. Yeah the community family health nurse (who we are also under) mentioned that professionals do not usually intervene unless he's not walking at 2yrs, which is the guidelines they follow.

It's funny how we are desperate for them to do things, then when they do we wonder why we were ever worried or long for the days they were newborn & drank milk & slept eh haha

boat_girl

What sort of walker is it? Our health visitor has recommended the shopping trolley type ones, i.e they are behind pushing it but told us not to use the type they sit in.

We were concerned by our daughter's development as she is 16 months and showing no real signs of walk, she does cruise along the sofa and stand for ages, like your little one she is very vocal and our hv who we saw on Tuesday has put our mind at ease for the time being but will follow this thread for any useful tips.

mummyroysof3

They alldo it in their own time. My youngest was 20 months when he walked and has a medical condition and has been see about his feet too. Good luck at the hospital and please come back and let us know what they say

**professor~yaffle**

You talking about him being on the lowest centile reminds me of the BMI charts we have as adults and how we are all expected to fit into a given height and weight range. It makes sense that there are going to be some who don't fit neatly into the government-approved grids and charts, imo. There's so much variation among people of all ages that not everyone is going to fit perfectly into a a computer-generated graph.

I suppose what I am trying to say is try not to worry too much about it In all likelihood he is just a late developer when it comes to walking (and an early one with his speech, etc.)

vicx

Anyone else think the crawling/pulling up stage is the hardest or does it get harder once they are on their feet? My niece who will be 1 this month has been crawling and pulling herself up for months now, I am exhausted after 11 hours of babysitting for 2 or 3 days per week so I can't wait for her to walk. She listens most of the time when I say 'no' or 'come here' so I think it will be easier when she is walking since I always having to run about to stand behind her when she pulls herself up on furniture.

I am hoping she will be walking this week since she has taken a few steps. We teach them for months how to talk and walk then the next 15 year teaching them how to sit down and shut up