15 month old not able to weight bear yet

[hectors house]

I look after a 15 month old baby, she didn't crawl until 12 months and still makes no attempt to pull herself up (even over a low step from my porch into hall), when she is sitting on my lap she makes no attempt to wriggle/slide down to floor to play and she struggles to bear weight on her legs - she is a large baby with very chubby legs so I'm not sure if she has poor muscle tone. I have started trying to stand her by the sofa putting things for her to reach for to distract her, she ends up reluctantly standing whilst crying on her toes with her head on the sofa to balance and seems to struggle to get her foot flat to the floor. I have started to try to massage her ankles to encourage her feet to go at 90 degrees when she is sitting down as they are always pointing like a ballerina. I have had big babies before who have walked late but they have always been able to crawl up steps - any suggestions please on how I can help her and if I should suggest to parents that they speak to Dr or Health Visitor.

[chris goodyear]

Are they first time parents? Maybe they don't think she should be doing more so a gentle hint that they should talk to or see HV? Any late walkers I have had, including one of my own, have all been walking by 15 months. But these days it seems babies/children are a bit later with the physical side of development and the mental and social skills are more to the fore.

[Ellisha]

I look after a 15 month old baby, she didn't crawl until 12 months and still makes no attempt to pull herself up (even over a low step from my porch into hall), when she is sitting on my lap she makes no attempt to wriggle/slide down to floor to play and she struggles to bear weight on her legs - she is a large baby with very chubby legs so I'm not sure if she has poor muscle tone. I have started trying to stand her by the sofa putting things for her to reach for to distract her, she ends up reluctantly standing whilst crying on her toes with her head on the sofa to balance and seems to struggle to get her foot flat to the floor. I have started to try to massage her ankles to encourage her feet to go at 90 degrees when she is sitting down as they are always pointing like a ballerina. I have had big babies before who have walked late but they have always been able to crawl up steps - any suggestions please on how I can help her and if I should suggest to parents that they speak to Dr or Health Visitor.

I think the non weight bearing thing is more concerning than not walking. Both my kids didn't walk until 15/16 months but crawled at 5/6 months and weight beared at about 8. I had a friend whose child was similar to the LO you describe- turned out to be hypermobile. She saw the health visitor early and got referred for physio which helped a lot. So I would say parent needs to speak to a health visitor.

[hectors house]

Are they first time parents? Maybe they don't think she should be doing more so a gentle hint that they should talk to or see HV? Any late walkers I have had, including one of my own, have all been walking by 15 months. But these days it seems babies/children are a bit later with the physical side of development and the mental and social skills are more to the fore.

No they have 2 other children, they did say the oldest child (now 6) didn't walk very young, but this one doesn't even attempt to pull herself up, bounce when I hold her on my lap or try to slide down to floor to play.

I'm a little more worried about this one as she is a July birthday and the development difference between her and the 2 just 2 year olds she will be starting school (unless mum defers) is immense. They are running, jumping and climbing, feeding themselves at table and drinking from open cup and the 15 month old still very much a baby - although she weighs as much as the 2 year olds do.

She is still within the 8 - 20 months of Physical EYFS and can do all of the statements apart from "Walks around furniture lifting one foot and stepping sideways (cruising), and walks with one or both hands held by adult. Takes first few steps independently" . and on Self Care doing everything apart from "Attempts to use spoon: can guide towards mouth but food often falls off."

She also suffers from terrible constipation and parents are having to take to drs for suppositories and lactulose - I wonder if her lack of physical movement has anything to do with this too.

[hectors house]

I think the non weight bearing thing is more concerning than not walking. Both my kids didn't walk until 15/16 months but crawled at 5/6 months and weight beared at about 8. I had a friend whose child was similar to the LO you describe- turned out to be hypermobile. She saw the health visitor early and got referred for physio which helped a lot. So I would say parent needs to speak to a health visitor.

Thank you - yes it's not the not walking that's bothering me but the not bearing weight part that is - I must speak to my mum to find out about how and when I walked and pulled myself up as I have mild hypermobility and always had weak ankles. I was prem and born breach with clicking hips so had other obstacles in not walking early though and 50 years ago babies tended to be swaddled and left in prams for long periods of time, so probably the norm to not crawl or walk early.