Five Month Old Can't Bear Weight or Straighten Spine When Sitting.

I haven't read your other replies yet, but I bet you're getting a lot of "he's fine" and he's a premie, etc. I am a pediatric physical therapist working mostly in the area of developmental pediatrics (as opposed to rehab from injuries), so I hope to offer you a different perspective. If you (or others) have read any of my responses to similar questions, you will see I am very passionate about what I do, so bear with me =) If he was about 4 weeks early, then his adjusted age is now about 4 months (chronologically 5 months). At this age he should be able to keep his head in the middle when you pull him to sitting from laying on his back (pulling gently from his wrists); he should have a steady head in a supported sitting position now DESPITE being a premie; when on his tummy he should be able to lift his head to essentially vertical while bearing weight through his forearms (although he may get frustrated and just not like tummy time); in a standing position (with help of course) he should be able to bear weight through his legs, but briefly and then let them sag and then push back up; when on his back he should be playing in "midline"--bringing his hands together, starting to kick his feet at the same time as if trying to bring them to his hands, etc. Does he seem "stiff" or on the floppy side? Four months (again, his adjusted age) is a key age for some skills to emerge. If you are in doubt, consult with you pediatrician. There should be a birth to three program in your area (didn't check your profile before writing this) and usually a screening and evaluation are free. If there is a sign of a "delay" (please don't let that panic you!!!), early intervention is the key. Now, with that said, yes, every child develops at a different rate. It is when multiple skills are lagging that we are concerned. Head control at this time is KEY. If he doesn't like tummy time, keep pushing it--it is VERY important! If you have further questions, please feel free to send me another message. Again, I am in no way trying to panic you, just trying to give you some helpful information! Good Luck!

K.,

Our daughter was born 4 months early and we also had that issue where people were comparing her and quite frankly my husband and I were comparing her to our son. Honestly, I know this is hard being that he is your first but use your best judgement and if you have doubts talk with your pediatrician or have him evaluated by your school district. I honestly don't think you will have too much to worry about. Just make sure he continues to get tummy time and try propping his arms (bent at the elbows) under his chest to hold him upright.

I would check out a chiropractor who sees children. It's amazing what they can do to get the whole body working together!

This issue may just be because he was born early. Some babies are just slower to reaching certain milestones than others. My 1st child walked at 9 1/2 months , my 2nd at 13 months and my 3rd is now 10 months and is perfectly happy crawling everywhere. If u are truly worried about it, u should consult his doc. Good luck and try not to get too upset about the moms who compare their babies: it is kind of a natural habit to automatically talk about your own babies.

Nothing to worry over...all babies develop physically at different times. Plus, as your son was born 4 weeks early, his actual "maturational" age that would be looked at would be 4 months old, not 5 months, so give him some time. He may be about a month behind or so with his physical development, but it will come. And no one will know by the time he's 5 when he sat up or stared to crawl or bear weight!

K.,

Talk to your doctor about your concerns. Many states have early intervention programs (in Wisconsins covering Birth-3 years old). Your doctor could make a referral for a developmental testing from a pediatric occupational/physical therapist who specializes in development. They can evaluate your son, and make recommendations or provide therapy to help him catch up if needed. The process does have to begin with a doctors referral. A couple things to remember when people compare your son to other children: 1) each child develops at a different pace and 2) children born prematurely should have the number of weeks prematurity subtracted from their age. So that means that your 5 month old should be considered more of a 4 month old. GOOD LUCK

A little about me: Self-employed Bed & Breakfast owner with a 8 year-old son. Former pediatric occupational therapist for 20+ years.

It sounds as though your son could benefit from a Birth to 3 program to receive physical/occupation therapy. Talk to your doctor about a referral or contact the agency directly in your area if there is one about having your son evaluated. I have not personally needed this program, but have a friend whose daughter is in it. I feel that it is a very good program and beneficial to all who use the services. Good luck to you and your son. It does not hurt to be evaluated.

most babies dont sit until they are 6 months or so, and some later than that.
talk to your doctor about your concerns. but dont stress, it doesnt help anyone. your kid will develop at his own pace. :D

I would ask your son's doctor and ask for a referal for a specalist. Good luck!

Hi,

My daughter, who is now 9 years old, was born three weeks early (after I was on bed rest for two weeks, otherwise she'd have been even earlier). She, too, was floppy. Turns out she has hypotonia, which is a fancy word for having deficient tone or tension in her muscles.

It wasn't real severe as a baby, so my husband and I didn't really notice it. However, when she was 3 years old we put her in a speech program through the school district, and halfway through the year, they asked if they could do some more testing. That's when the hypotonia was discovered, and she was given OT/PT through the school district (she also has Sensory Processing Disorder, of which hypotonia is quite common).

To date, she still receives speech and OT/PT through the school district (she's in the 3rd grade), and I also have her see an outside OT/PT professional. If it's caught early, OT/PT works wonders. It's good of you to be watching him and recognizing this early; with special help, OT/PT can work with him on strengthening his muscles. My daughter has also been in dance since she was 4 years old, and that has helped immensely with her coordination and balance, which has helped her self-esteem.

Hi K.

Ok keep in mind he was born early and that he is only 5 months old . Not every baby develops the same way . I could sit here and say oh my two had strong neck muscles by 3 months . I could say they sat by 5 months but they are not the same as your little guy . Relax and enjoy him they do not stay small for long . If your concerned ask your doctor to reasure you that he is fine . Do not listen to what every one is saying he will get things in time . I work in daycare and every baby in the baby room is different .

People love to compare babies....it is hard, but each baby is unique. I have 3 kiddos at home, my first rolled over at 4 months, my second didnt roll over until almost 8 months, and my thrid didn't roll over until after she was sitting on her own at about 7 months.

We did some PT with my third one for torticolis and they did a lot of neck/back exercises that I had never even though of....very easy & very quick to do.

First, I would recommend getting a big ball. Our PT person said we should get an exercise ball, but we had a big beach ball at home an it worked just fine.

A couple things go do with baby on the ball:

1) sit facing the ball (with your legs strattling the ball) and lay baby on tummy on the ball (face towards you feet away from you) then roll the ball/baby toards you and away from you) This gives them practice strenghting that back at gradual changes in position (not just laying or sitting.)

2) soon, you can sit the baby on the ball and support his/her weight by pushing down into the ball on the hips. The ball absorbs some of the baby weight and has a little more "give" then the floor would. Once they are comfortable in that position, you can gently roll the ball/baby side to side and back and forth. Again, the will instincutally want to sit "up" causing them to use muscles as their body is being tilted in different directions.

Something else to do (without a ball) is to hold your baby out away from you with different angels to the ground. Start up and down and then move your hands so your right hand is under their right arm pit and your left hand isunder their left knee and then tilt them to the right. Again, they will instinctually tilt their head back upright strenghting the muscles in their neck and back. Switch hand positions and then tilt the other way.

We found that these exercises took a while for our daughter to get used to, so if your baby fusses through them the first times you try it, stick with it. It is amazing how quickly their muscles "learn" and you should see improvement in them. We also found that if we did the tilting one (no ball) infront of a mirror, she thought that was funny and made the exercises go quicker.

Good luck with your baby's "workout program."

C.

Some premies have an easier time holding their head up and other strength related tasks because they have less weight to hold up. However some babies are just a bit weaker and it takes longer to hit certain markers. I would suggest working with him a few minutes a day 10-15 minutes 2-3 times a day. Sit on the floor with him, give him toys and place pillows behind him in "V" shape, the pillows offer a little support and give him a soft place to land should he topple over. Stay close to catch him if he falls and keep him stimulated with toys or by singing to him. It's a lot of work for him and he may not last 10 minutes at first so don't get concerned. Also let him play on his back and belly encourage kicking and grabbing and moving his head from side to side. The exercise seems easy for us or even a 10 month old but he's a little guy so be patient. Also love him for who he is and don't compare him to the other kids and when other Moms compare their kids to yours change the subject. All kids grow and muture at different ages. At five he may show a real ability at baseball or piano and someone may make a rude remark because you son can do one and not the other, so what he is being who he is meant to be.
My daugher has this wonderful little 14 month old boy, when he was born she kept saying oh look I got my football player. So what does he show a real interest in now 'dance' everytime that little one hears music his little butt gets going and his head bobs up and down. He is being himself and we encourage it.
So many people try to program their kids from infancy through high school, they push their kids to be what they want them to be, and then wonder why the kids ends up a 'failure' or addicted to drugs or alcohol. Let them be who they are.

Hi there,

How big is your son? My son has always been big--90 percentile for height and weight. He did all the gross motor stuff late: rolling over, sitting up, walking. I think bigger kids can lag a little behind. Also, how big is his head? My son's head circumference was off the charts. They even did a CT Scan to rule out anything medical. Turns out he just has a big noggin'! He held his head up late and still has balance issues.

When he couldn't sit up on his own at 9 months, we brought him to a chiropractor. His left hip was out of whack and within a couple of weeks he went from not being able to sit up to creeping around the room (walking while holding onto things)! It was amazing. So I would say, consider taking him to a chiropractor. He may need just a tiny adjustment. My son still goes every 8-10 weeks to keep everything in line.

Also, just see what your healthcare provider says at his 6 month check-up. They can refer you to Early Intervention. It is through the school district, and is for kids birth to 3. There is no cost to you for them to do an assessment--the state and/or county pay for it. Someone can come out to your house (kids do best in their own house) and do an assessment. We were in the process of getting an Early Intervention team to come out to our house because at 16 months, my son was not yet walking. Well, after I completed the phone interview, he decided to run down the sidewalk and he hasn't stopped since.

Good luck to you!

P.S. One thing to keep in mind is his "preemie" status. Wouldn't that make him only 4 months old, developmental-wise?

remember your son was born 4 weeks early so really he isn't that far behind since he should be on track with most 4 month olds right now not full term 5 month olds.

I would keep an eye on it and talk to your dr at your next apt.

I remember being a first time mom. It's very scary. You don't know what to do or who to talk to. There's constant comparison's between your baby and everyone elses. I'm a mom three times over now and my confidence still waffles from time to time. Being a mother is difficult and a big support group can be a blessing but sometimes it can be a curse! lol You'll get the best and worst case scenarios which sometimes are what you need but other times more specific information is what's necessary.

First-If you are concerned, speak with your child's pediatrician. They will know your child's medical and developmental issues better than anyone offering you advice online or in real life. If you feel awkward about approaching your doctor, speak to the nurses. They are an invaluable source of information.

Second-Ask plenty of questions. Write down questions in a journal and take them to your baby's doctor's appointments. This ensures you don't forget to mention something when you're in front of the doctor. Feel free to write down what the doctor or nurse tells you. It's easy to suffer from information overload and forget important things.

Third-Follow your instincts. If you don't get the answers you need or feel you're not being taken seriously by your pediatrician, then get a second opinion. Sometimes it's a personality conflict that prevents you getting the BEST care for your child.

I'm praying things turn out well for you and your baby. Hopefully it's just a new mother's nerves getting the best of you but these tips will help you rest easy and find the answers you need to keep your baby healthy.

Does your child have a "sacral dimple": found on the lower backs of some infants. It is estimated that at least two percent of infants have these dimples or pits most of which are located in the middle of the back just above the buttocks. Both of our boys presented with them. Our middle boy, very gross motor delayed, had a tethered spinal cord, which, in a nutshell, inhibits gross motor delay. He has additional special needs, so the diagnosis went unnoticed for some time. It was eventually repaired and needless to say, was an easy surgery. I’d at least ask your PCP about it if a dimple is present.

My daughters were each 6 and 7 weeks premature. A little behind with this and that bearing weight on his legs and having trouble holding his head up is a red flag of problem I'd say. Go see your pediatrician. My daughter is 7mos.old right now and was a 34weeker and she's a little behind but was holding her head up great around 3.5 mos old, sitting in a chair, bumbo, highchair at 3-4mos.old and could stand and bear weight 4-5 mos. Like I said she was and still is a little behind.

It sounds as if he has low muscle tone, my oldest daughter had this and we kept asking her peds why she was not bearing weight, crawling when she should etc. and he said she was just a little slower. At one year when she still seemed weak we took her to a different peds who ran tests and found a metabolic disorder that caused low muscle tone. After Birth to three physical therapy and some vitamin supplements she took off in development and is a normal 15 yr old today. Go see your pediatrician and get a second opinion if you are not satisfied. Have Birth to three evaluate your baby, it is free and they work with babies that were born "near -term". trust your "Momma instincts" when you feel somethings not right, you know your baby best:)

K.,
I had the same concerns when our daughter was that age. She did hold her head up, but would never bear weight on her legs. Finally at her 1-year check up we took her to a pediatric neurologist who diagnosed her with "benign congenital hypotonia". (Low muscle tone). We are getting PT through our school district's early intervention program. It's a free program that I recommend you look into. We had to have many evaluations to see if we would qualify, but it's well worth it. She is 15 months now and still not bearing weight on her legs--but we do see improvements in other areas and are convinced she'll catch up eventually! Good luck!

Why don't you ask your son's pediatrician if its something to be concerned about at this point. IF he says yes, you're going to catch it early and he will most likely recommend physical therapy IF he needs it. Don't stress okay!

Dee

Hi K.,
You can take him to a Therapy clinic for an evaluation by a physical therapist. He does seem delayed and should be at least exhibiting more signs that he does.

You can also contact your school district and ask for an evaluation.

Good luck,
K.

I have 2 preemies as well (7 & 6 weeks) and they were behind a little developmentally as well. However, they weren't super far behind either. Your son typically should be about a month behind other babies his actual age, but by about a year to year-and-a-half, he should be right there with others his age. The best thing to do would be to ask his pediatrician about it (best to assess in person than just over and email/post). :) Another thing, and we all have done this, is to stop comparing your child to others! Even when you have more children, to not compare their developements all the time to the older child. My daughters were both born in July, however, the younger one was 7 weeks early so she obviously wasn't going to be crawling/walking/etc at the same time as my oldest! :) If your doctor's not worried about his development, just take what everyone else says with a grain of salt and know that you're doing the best for your child! It's a tough lesson we first time mom's have to learn. Congrats on your little man - I'm sure he's beautiful! :)