Physical Therapy for "Late Crawler"?

[RachelW]

Hi All. My daughter will turn 1 on Feb. 18 and she wasn't crawling until two days ago. Physically she's small--15 lbs, but her fine motor skills are good, she can feed herself, she sits well, and occasionally will pull up to a standing position. My first was crawling at 6 months, walking at 11, so the pediatrician recommended I see a physical therapist to have her assessed.

Even though she started crawling a few days ago, I kept the appointment and took her today. The therapist watched her and interacted with her and assessed her as "low tone" and pointed out that her left foot was turning in when she put weight on it. She urged me to work on building my daughters arm strength and massaging her foot to get it to arch properly. I was fine with this, but then she started to tell me that I should bring her twice a week for therapy and that I should have her in some supportive shoes. For an 11 month old??

I'm a firm believer in bare feet/Robeez and I also think that she's going to learn at her own pace and that she's just small. Part of me doesn't want to go back because I don't think that there's anything wrong. But I also don't want to seem nonchalant about something that might be serious.

What would you do?

[Abraisme]

If you feel that she's fine, then I personally wouldn't go to pt. Some kids just move later, the vast majority turn out fine. When I was a baby I didn't use my legs at all until I started crawling (around 12mo). I wouldn't stand or even jump in any sort of jumper.. Then one day (around 15mo) I stood up and started walking with no issues. My BIL was also similar, only he didn't walk until 17mo. He's now a very active, intelligent adult..

[Bokonon]

My son was/is delayed, so I have experience with this.

Physical therapy isn't just to teach a baby how to crawl and then walk. It's to increase proper muscle tone, teach how to sit and transition to different positions correctly, and improve balance. These things are imperative for all gross motor development. When there is low tone, kids try to compensate using other muscles instead of working on the ones that need improvement, and the real issue may never be resolved.

And physical delays can have a huge impact on a child's self-esteem. Obviously this isn't a concern for an 11 month old, but one day she may start playing with other kids her age and struggle to keep up with them.

My son started PT when he was 11 months old, and it made a world of difference. He still didn't walk until he was 2, and at 4.5, is still not totally caught up, but it's not very obvious. It was really tough for he and I when all of his friends were walking and he was barely crawling. Then they were running and he wasn't even walking yet. I didn't want to join any playgroups because cognitively he was slightly advanced, but physically he was so behind, that he really just didn't fit in anywhere. It was a very stressful and emotional year.

I would highly recommend this book if you can find it on eBay or at the library:
http://www.amazon.com/Why-Motor-Skil...5149337&sr=8-1

[Dmitrizmom]

any chance you can get a second opinion?

[Alisse]

I would at least seek a 2nd opinion if i had any doubts, rather than go with my gut or feelings, especially when it comes to a developmental issue involving my ds.

[ErinYay]

Bare feet and the like are perfect for normally developing feet, but may not be appropriate for your child right now. To echo others, I'd seek a second opinion, but it might be good to practice getting into the mindset that your daughter does need orthotics and/or therapy for now. It is not a reflection on you as a parent; sometimes kids need a little extra help, and that's okay.

[RachelW]

Thanks for your replies!
I did get a second opinion and he told me to give it another month or so. Since last week she's now pulling up to standing and yesterday she did so without holding on. Perhaps she was just moving slowly. It's hard with number 2---you expect them to do things at the same time as your first!