"late" walkers?

[lilmissimpatient@c]

DS is 22 months and can not walk on his own. He will take 3-4 steps while holding both hands, and he cruises a very little, maybe 5 steps while holding onto furniture, etc. He crawls like the wind, can squat to stand, and stands for extended periods of time. He can raise on tiptoes while free standing.

We have seen a neurologist, an orthopedic surgeon, and he is in PT through the county intervention program. We've spent a long week waiting on CK results that would indicate a myopathy or muscular dystrophy, but those all came back normal.

The neurologist wants us to see a geneticist (but didn't really elaborate as to why. she's not very forthcoming with information) and also run a CT and MRI.

I kind of feel like he'll walk when he's ready and this is getting a little excessive

Am I alone? Are there other Mamas out there with "late walkers"?

[confustication]

Two of mine have been late walkers, but not that late 18 mos and 16 mos. Both were, and continue to be, hypotonic. The first was cruising and crawling early, the second was late.

I think that by 22 months and with no other answers I'd be looking at a geneticist as an appropriate next step.

[Katie T]

My mom babysat a little girl who didn't walk until she was 2yo. They ran all sorts of tests and they all came back normal and her mom thought she would walk when she was ready. She would scoot everywhere on her bum until one day she got up and finally walked.

I think part of it is your mothering instinct. Your post comes across as though you feel everything is normal and she will walk when ready and you may be right.

I don't think non-invasive tests are a bad thing per-say just in case but wanted to share my story. This is the only child I have met who was such a late walker and had nothing else going on.

Good luck!

[Bokonon]

My DS didn't walk until the week before his 2nd birthday, despite having been in PT since 11 months old. He had gross motor delays probably related to his prematurity and/or my preeclampsia.

We saw a pediatric neurologist who was going to order an MRI if he still wasn't walking by his 2nd birthday, and he beat us to it just barely!

[ammiga]

My dd didn't walk until she was 18 months. Not even 1 or 2 steps, and she showed zero interest in walking. She was an excellent crawler, and was perfectly content to crawl everywhere. One day, she stood up and walked across the room, and within the hour was running.

I was never worried about her. She didn't seem like she couldn't walk, just like she wouldn't walk. To me, there was a difference. If I watched her grow older and struggle and unable to find a way to walk, I probably would have started looking into what was causing the delay. But that wasn't the case at all. She simply didn't want to walk, and when she did, she took off and was doing it like she had been walking and running for her whole life.

[lilmissimpatient@c]

Thank you so much for the replies! He was a term birth, C-section when I went into labor at 41 weeks for transverse position with hands and feet presenting (lol..he's always been stubborn, we tried EVERYTHING to turn him). The only issue I had in my pregnancy was a car accident at 32 weeks, but we were monitored overnight with seemingly no issues.

He's always been a cautious guy, very observant, and really wants to check things out before jumping in. I don't necessarily think it's that he can't walk, but rather he just doesn't. If that makes any sense.

The neuro feels he is hypotonic, while others have said it's just his core with low muscle tone.

I really don't know what to do - I hate the shadow of doubt that has been cast, kwim?

[Bokonon]

I have to add that I completely agree that maternal intuition is huge. I *knew* there was a problem with my son. We never figured out exactly why he was so delayed, but he was delayed sitting up, crawling, walking, etc. Even now, at 5, it's hard to tell that he had serious gross motor delays, but there is a subtle difference between he and the kids his age and even a little younger at his school.

And the real eye-opener is how his 1yo sister, who is on the late end of normal, is developing. It's almost shocking to me how she's already climbing play structures at the park, and crawling up the stairs, and other "normal" things for a baby even younger than her. It's amazing and actually sad to realize how really delayed my son was, even though we were doing everything we could (evaluation as soon as his delays were evident and physical therapy weekly from that point on).

[Roar]

Our son had a similar history and ended up walking around age two. I said very similar things to what you are saying. And, it was true, he has a cautious deliberative personality. It is also true that his problems with walking were about more than his personality. In his case seeing a geneticist turned out to be very helpful.

I can tell it isn't what you want to hear but my suggestion is that you listen to the neurologist and make the genetics appointment. Geneticists have some of the longest waiting times to be seen by any specialist. We waited a year for the initial appointment. So, my suggestion is make the appointment now. If he's doing great you can always cancel. If you don't make the appointment and decide eight months from now he needs it he may be well into his preschool years before he can be seen.