Developtment

Take your child in to the doctor please. If you have already taken him in to a doctor and they said it's no big deal, take him to a totally different doctor. IANAD (I am not a doctor), but I am aware of a disease which causes a child's urine to smell like maple syrup (chances are, the smell is coming from his diaper if he's 11 1/2 months old). He may have an inability to process certain amino acids in the body. From what I know, if left untreated it can lead to seizures or coma.

Your son's behavior though, I'd like to tell you, is for the most part perfectly normal for his age..except for that 10-12 hour stretch at night. I can't remember my kids ever sleeping that well at such an age. However we did have 3-hour naps--those are wonderful! Playing by himself for 1-2 hours is awesome for a little one that age. The not holding a bottle or crawling might mean he may need an evaluation from a Birth-to-Three program (call your local hospital for information on how to connect with them). I do urge you to get him to the doctor's for having the amino acid issue looked at because the fact that he smells like maple syrup is a real red flag. I wish you warmth and love and peace!

1 mom found this helpful

Catie D gave you good advice, but I think it is normal for your baby to sleep 10-12 hours at night. Our 6 month old has been sleeping 12-13 hours a night since he was 3 months old and he is developing great - crawling, sitting, etc. Go to your doctor so that you can be either reassured that he is okay or get needed help.

My son also smelled like maple syrup. I think it was from when his diapers leaked a little bit. I never even thought to mention it to the doctor. But, that is definitely what he smelled like, like I had fed him pancakes right before bed and he got syrup on his pj's. I don't know if it was related or not, but he did have one (and only one) febrile seizure at about 20 months. He is now 5 1/2 and has not had one since. Although, febrile seizures seem to be fairly common and there were no noticeable lasting effects. My son also hardly craweled, sometimes scooted on his but and didn't walk till 15 months.

Hi C.,

Your little guy sounds perfectly normal. We always expect our little ones to do things in our time or compare them to other children, but we simply can't do that. They do things on their own time. He'll be just fine and it sounds like he's progressing nicely. I wouldn't stress over it. Just go give him a big hug and kiss : )

Marie,

Some one mentioned it but there is something called Maple syrup urine disease. Most all babies are tested in the hospital and can cause some very serious issues but it's something that would have been present from birth and more than a little noticeable now. My other thought is are you taking fenugreek? I know it can cause maple syrup smelling urine in mothers so I'm certain it could also do the same for your son. That being said call the doctors office and ask to speak to a nurse.
His sleep seems totally normal to me so there shouldn't be much concern there. As others have suggested call birth to 3. Developmental delay are what they deal with. Everyone is super nice and would be able to offer suggestions if he's just considered a tad bit behind. It's very likely that he's not going to be considered delayed. Because there is such a wide area of development the first 2 years there is a lot of wiggle room. Good luck!

My daughter also smelled like maple syrup sometimes. I agree with below that it was usually when her diaper had leaked a bit and I didn't realize it. Her pants would get a maple syrup like smell and I realized it was dried urine. Sounds weird but I know the smell your referring to.

I would have him looked at by your pediatrician right away. The maple syrup smell could be associated with a genetic disorder called MSUD. If left untreated, this could result in certain medical issues and developmental delays. At the appointment to have that checked, I would mention your other concerns regarding his development so your doctor can put you in touch with the correct county and health workers for the assessments necessary to see if he is developing on track.

Good luck.

I don't know anything about the maple syrup thing, but all the other developmental things you mention seem perfectly normal. Children begin walking and crawling within a wide range of time. My neighbor's sons didn't walk until 15 months. My son never took a bottle or sippy cup, but he would use a straw at about your son's age. I also think the sleeping is right on track. My son has slept for about 12 hours a night since about 9-10 months. Naps are variable, but I know of many children your son's age who will take two naps during the day, probably equalling 3 hours total. That said, it doesn't hurt to ask your doctor if you need some reassurance.

C., I have never heard anyone say their child smelled like maple syrup I assume your son has a 12 mo. appt coming up so that would definately be something you should ask your Dr. about . The whole crawling and walking thing I can say I do have experience with. My now 10 year old did not crawl until 11 months and did not walk until 15 mos. He was very ahead on some things and very behind on others. You can call your local Area Education Department (AEA) and they will send someome to your home to do a home study to see what your child is capable of, things you and I would never think of. After their assesment they will send you a report. Good luck.

All babies develop differently, and your little guy just may be more focused on the verbal aspect versus the motor aspect of his development. If you are truly concerned, you can contact your local county health nurse and ask about a birth-to-three developmental program. Most counties offer these programs as a lower cost way to have your child evaluated at certain intervals from birth-to-three to assess their development. If there are issues, they are addressed and they can help you find ways to work with your child to help catch up. You can also contact your child's pediatrician and ask for a full developmental assessment, which is the same thing, but more costly. My twins (9 months) are in this program with the county and also at Children's Hospital, as they were 8 weeks premature. The doctor at Children's and the County Nurse assigned to my boys work together to assess their development, and if there are issues we all work together to find the best way to approach them.
Good luck!

All children develop differently, and the guidelines are just that. Having said that though, I would have your child tested with what's called Early Intervention. It is run through the school districts and they can assess where he/she is. All services are free. Our son had to use them and is has been a world of help. He was premature so we were on the lookout for him being delayed, but found that we needed the help. All states are different on how they handle things, so you may need to make a few calls to find out exactly where you need to go. I would start with your school district, they should know a direction to point you in. Had I not had a friend that used the services, I would not have known what to do either. Same thing for my friend. Good luck, and please feel free to e-mail me should you have any other questions.

I am a pediatric physcial therapist. Ditto on contacting your doctor about the urine. My 13 month old has been sleeping 11 hours at night for months! and taking a total of 2-3 hours of naps (sometimes split in 2, sometimes one long one). I have read MANY times that 12-14 hours of sleep is normal for this age. From a motor standpoint, yes, every child develops differently, but not crawling at almost a year is a concern. Ditto on calling your county birth to three program. Screening and initial formal evaluations are free in Wisconsin (sorry--I didn't chekc your profile to see where you live). Will he take weight on his legs if you support him? Will he pivot in a circle when playing on his tummy? I am headed out of town this afternoon, but if you want more info, please contact me and I will respond when I get back. Good Luck!

All babies develop differently. My youngest didn't walk until 15 months. She was communicating and moving around so the Dr. was not concerned. She was a little chunkier. Is yours? That can make a difference in how they move around. One of these days he will just take off on you and you will miss when he was not under foot. If you are really concerned I would bring it up at his year baby check.

You may want to call the Birth to Three Program of Brown County.

The Birth to Three program is an early intervention program for infants and toddlers with developmental delays and disabilities. It is a comprehensive, community-based, statewide system that promotes a family-centered approach to early intervention. It emphasizes family strengths and incorporates informal and community resources. The system ensures cooperative planning between the state of Wisconsin and counties, promotes uniformity of interventions available across the state, and involves the education, health, and social service systems.

The program can assess the child's developmental ability to:
learn and play, move, see, hear, communicate, develop relationships, perform basic self-care, express and regulate emotions.

The child must have a developmental delay of at least 25% in one area as noted through Birth to 3 evaluation or other records, or diagnosis with a high probability of a develolpmental delay, or atypical development (such as asymmetrical movement, variant speech and language patterns, delay in achieving significant interactive milestones).

Eligibility is not based on income guidelines and there is no waiting list.

Hear four familes share their experience with the Brown County Birth to Three program in this 11 minute video.
http://www.public.applications.co.brown.wi.us/humanservic...

For more information or to make a referral contact Brown County Human Service Access Unit at ###-###-####.

kids develop at their own rate.
ask your doctor. they are very aware of the different ranges of development.
smells like maple syrup? what kind of soap do you use? lol. thats random.
anyway, talk to your doctor with these concerns.