OT- 11 month old not wanting to crawl??

[minkydog]

While I realize that crawling is not a milestone, don't babies usually want to move somehow by this point (ie: cruising, scooting, rolling over and over)? She can roll over, but doesn't use it to get where she needs to go (ie: if she wants a toy or to get to someone). BTW, thanks for the advice. You are putting my mind at ease.

My oldest child couldn't have cared less about crawling. He would happily roll over to get something, but more often he was happy to just sit there waving his hands and laughing. He didn't cruise until about 13months and he walked at 15months==just stood up in the middle of the kitchen and took off.

 

[perkinsrose]

Just a thought--I used them sparingly but there's suggestion that "activity centers" (those saucer type things) and "walkers" actually impede walking skills and develop the wrong muscles for walking/ standing.

That doctor's comment about niece child being "lazy" would rub me the wrong way. But if you want to encourage child --- maybe place something just out of reach that might really motivate to get over to.

Both my kids barely crawled-mostly went right to walking. My DS did do a crazy army / belly slide "crawl." Though we didn't have the TV on around him when he was so little, he was enthralled with the TV remote and that was what got him to crawl/slide to get to it. Before that--he would roll across the room to get places!

I think bowlegging is pretty typical in prewalkers. If doctor's not concerned--i would either just wait a month or two longer and watch OR ... see another doctor.

 

[perkinsrose]

While I do agree with all the other posts, I did just want to put out there that I have a friend who's dd wasn't crawling by 12 months and they ended up doing an eye exam (not sure how on a 12 month old, but somehow they did it) and found that she needed glasses and wasn't crawling or walking because she couldn't see well enough to. Not saying that is the same with your neice, but it is something to consider checking out. soon after she had the glasses she started crawling and then walking.

I ran to the pediatrician with scary photographs showing a white spot/splotch in one eye with typical red-eye in the other of my then 3 yr old DS. He was concerned-as i was-of an eye cancer that shows up in photographs. Years ago i had seen a story on Oprah about it. Terrified, the pediatrician sent us to an opthamologist. With babies/kids, they dilate the eyes with eyedrops (they're very good quick to get them in) and use instruments to look into eye and can see vision problems. With older kids they also have picture charts & tv screens/toys set up as vision tests instead of the standard letter chart.

With no obvious trouble seeing, we were shocked to find out DS just needed glasses--no tumors/cancer. Because he had near perfect vision in one eye and was legally blind in the other eye--the descrepancy between the two showed up with glare in the photograph. Crazy stuff.

We had to use an eye patch (many hours per day for 3 yrs) over the good eye to train his brain to use the poor eye again and strengthen it. He had developed "lazy eye"/amblyopia. Years later, his vision has strenghtened and improved each eye exam and dr. predicts he willl actually be done with glasses soon and 20/20. Early intervention works wonders.

 

[mom~of~2]

My DD didn't crawl until 10 months and didn't walk until 16 months. Her ped. wasn't overly concerned, but did give us the number to early intervention at her 1-year appointment. We figured there was no harm in getting an eval. She ended up qualifying for physical, occupational, & speech therapy. (DD happens to have vision issues as well.)

I was a little skeptical at first (wasn't sure if all of this was necessary), but I ended up really appreciating the therapists. DD's delays were very minor... we only did speech for 2 months and OT & PT for about 4 months... but I really think the additional therapy was beneficial for all of us. Would she have walked without early intervention? Sure... but as a first-time mom, I found the therapy very educational - the therapists gave me lots of new ideas for working with her. I also felt like a pro by the time her younger sister was born!

 

[holden]

Our FD sees an occupation therapist once a week because she wasn't crawling. The OT told us that crawling is important because it helps to make certain connections in the brain that are related to language development. It's the motion of the legs/arms together that "fire" neurons (is that the word?) in the brain and helps in brain development. I thought FD was going to go straight to walking too, but the OT wanted her to learn to crawl first. With a few simple exercises she was crawling very quickly. She crawled somewhere around 10 or 11 mos. and just stared walking on Monday of this week (15 mos.).

I'm sure kids who go straight to walking are perfectly fine, but I just wanted to pass along the OT information FWIW. A call to early intervention couldn't hurt if the mom is very concerned.

 

[laughinplace199]

My first two kids both crawled at 9 mos. My oldest walked at 13 mos and the next one walked at 15 mos. Then, along came baby #3. He's just soooo different from the other two. At his 1 yr appointment, he wasn't crawling, cruising , or walking. He could sit unassisted, but would still fall backwards sometimes. My ped wasn't that concerned, but I was, so he gave me the # for Early Intervention. They came to the house and did an eval, and DS qualified for services. He was crawling at about 15 mos and walking at 18 mos. The funny thing is, when he started walking, he just took off. He wasn't unsteady like most new walkers are. I think he just waited until he was really ready.

So, if the baby's mom is really concerned, she should get EI to evaluate. It doesn't cost anything and either the baby will qualify for services or not. Either way, it should give mom peace of mind.

 

[waltskids]

Our FD sees an occupation therapist once a week because she wasn't crawling. The OT told us that crawling is important because it helps to make certain connections in the brain that are related to language development. It's the motion of the legs/arms together that "fire" neurons (is that the word?) in the brain and helps in brain development. I thought FD was going to go straight to walking too, but the OT wanted her to learn to crawl first. With a few simple exercises she was crawling very quickly. She crawled somewhere around 10 or 11 mos. and just stared walking on Monday of this week (15 mos.).

I'm sure kids who go straight to walking are perfectly fine, but I just wanted to pass along the OT information FWIW. A call to early intervention couldn't hurt if the mom is very concerned.

That is very interesting about the connections to language. I think I will talk to her about EI and then she can mention it to her ped. if he doesn't mention it at her 12 month appt.

 

[Keara'sMom]

If she is really concerned she could look into EI. If she is that worried getting an EI eval couldn't hurt at best she doesn't qualify - at worst she gets some help? I think a parent knows their child best so if she is worried I guess it couldn't hurt.

I was going to recommend the same thing! I'm a school psychologist who does EI evals with physical, occupational, and speech therapists, and this is a great way to put parents' minds at ease or to point them in the direction of services to help if needed.

Good luck!

 

[jj1403]

Crawling is not considered one of those baby "milestones" it's kind of like and added bonus..

My daugther never crawled, she did roll however, and she didn't start walking until she was 14.5 months.

Every kid is different. My son started walking a 9.2 months..sounds nice in theory but it was a crazy time!

 

[lutherlovr]

Several others have said the same...my son at 12 months did not crawl, roll over, or anything. He was able to sit up unassisted. I did refer him to Early Intervention, and after they evaluated him, the told me not to be worried unless he was 18 mos and still not walking. He FINALLY started walking a few days after he turned 18 months. I nearly broke my back with him, he was 35 lbs by the time he started walking. Now, he is a little over 2 and all of his physical development is age appropriate. I don't think it's a big deal with your neice, but there is no harm or cost to calling Early Intervention if you are worried just to see what they have to say.

 

[vcgirl925]

The average age for walking is between 9 months and 18 months! Sounds like such a big range but it's true. My kids crawled for only a couple weeks and they were walking, dd by 10 months and ds by 11. But friends of ours baby didn't even crawl until one year and didn't walk until almost 16 months. Boy that kid could crawl fast though. They are really all different. If the moms not concerned and her ped's not concerned then i'd wait it out for a bit longer.

 

[KadysMom]

I find it funny that the same remarks come out about crawling. Some kids dont do it. I thought my DD was the only one. She crawled but HATED it. You could tell by the look on her face. She did it for a bout 2 weeks and decided to walk. So i bet so many other kids dont like it either!

Is there any correlation between walking and weight? Because my niece didnt walk until about 15 months but she was a big girl. My DD was walking at 7 months but she was very tiny. So I have no idea if it matters. But every child is different and you cant force them to do anything. If you hold their hands and they dont want to walk they wont.

 

[Darcy03231]

DD didn't roll over until she was 9 mos., didn't crawl until she was 15 mos. and didn't walk until she was 2!! She's now almost 17 and completely healthy. I definitely wouldn't worry about it. On the other hand DS was walking at 9 mos (and then I wondered why I wanted DD walking earlier).

 

[marcyinPA]

I find it funny that the same remarks come out about crawling. Some kids dont do it. I thought my DD was the only one. She crawled but HATED it. You could tell by the look on her face. She did it for a bout 2 weeks and decided to walk. So i bet so many other kids dont like it either!

Is there any correlation between walking and weight? Because my niece didnt walk until about 15 months but she was a big girl. My DD was walking at 7 months but she was very tiny. So I have no idea if it matters. But every child is different and you cant force them to do anything. If you hold their hands and they dont want to walk they wont.

I don't know about the weight thing, but I often wondered that too. My oldest was HUGE and walked at 16 months. My youngest was tiny and walked at 10 months.

 

[laughinplace199]

I suppose weight could be a factor, but it defintely wasn't a factor for DS. He's consistently been below the 5th percentile for weight and he was a late walker. Right now he's 21 mos and 20.5 pounds. He started walking at 18 mos and started running a few weeks later!