Slow Meeting Gross Motor Milestones

Hi A.,

I'm new too, and have just been looking over the postings, but yours jumped out because three years ago, I was saying the same thing to everyone I knew. And, to top it off, I'm a teacher, so I had heard how important crawling was for reading and language development! So, I went ahead and had my daughter evaluated by Early Intervention (EI)-- it's a free service. The physical therapist told me what everyone else told me- DON'T WORRY! Because of the back-to-sleep initiative, and babies spending less time in general on their tummies, babies are reaching milestones like rolling and crawling later. Some babies never do. Also, sometimes gross motor development takes a back seat to some other skills your son might be working on right now, like fine motor or language development. Lastly, you said he moves around with an arm pull and pushing his legs- that is actually considered a form of crawling. It doesn't look like the hands and knees crawling you're used to seeing, but it counts.
My daughter actually crawled after she walked- she started walking around 11 months, and then, when she fell, she would crawl to a place where she could pull herself up. She was a tubby baby, and was so content right where she was. If a toy was out of reach, she would rather play with some lint on the carpet than crawl to get the toy! She was so laid-back! She is now 3 and a half, moves around beautifully (though her gross motor, like running, jumping and climbing came at the late end of the spectrum), and is incredibly intelligent. She wrote all of her own thank you cards for Christmas this year (with a little help on spelling). If everything else with your son is normal, I wouldn't worry. When they did the evaluation on my daughter, they were looking for neurological reasons that she wouldn't be able to perform gross motor skills, and since everything else was great, they had no reason to worry. She eventually caught up!
I would wait until your son is 1, and then if he still isn't showing interest in moving around, push the issue with your pediatrician. Good luck!

Don't worry about it. My son and daughter didn't start crawling until they were close to a year, and didn't walk until 14 months. They are 6 and 8 now, and are both very athletic. I know its hard when you see moms with 9 month olds who already walk, but keep in mind that the majority of kids do not walk until after their first birthdays. If your doctor is not worried about your son's progress, that is a good sign that you have nothing to worry about.

Hi There,
I am so glad that you posted this!! I have been worried about my daugter who is 7 months. She appears to be "behind" because she can't sit up on her own, and has difficulty rolling over and on her tummy. Next time I go to the DR. I am going to ask about having her screened. When I was at the Dr last time he mentioned that he was concerned, but would not elaborate. Therefore, I am a worried mess.
K.

Dear A., Don't worry much. He it appears, is comado crawling which is the first part of crawling. Give him oppurtunities to pull to stand by coaxing him with a toy. Also, use to toys to facilitate his moving from one position to another. If you continue to be concerned, contact your First Steps office and discuss an evaluation by a Physical Therapist. K. C.

Hi, A.!
I'm new to this site, too, but wanted to address your question. I'm a mom of 3: an 8-year-old; a 6-year-old; and a 10-1/2 month old boy. At 9 months, my baby was doing the same as yours: crawling by pushing his hands, but that was about it. Suddenly, in the last 2 weeks, he has started crawling on all fours and is now pulling himself up on all of the furniture and crusing around. My advice is to hang in there: give it another month or so and see what he does. My first child crawled at 9 months, but then my daughter (the 6-year-old) didn't crawl until 10 months. Enjoy the "non-mobile" stage...it's about to end!!
-A. T.

My first didn't army crawl until she was 10 months old, then she took forever to crawl on hands and knees, and then she was about 16 months before she walked. But, she got it eventually, and now is a little ballerina. Try not to worry, I think some kids never crawl, and go straight to walking. I think the criteria for concern is 18 months and not walking.

Hi there. My son who is now just over two, had some similar issues to those of your son. He did the "commando crawl" you are describing up until his first birthday, and then started crawling on all fours and transitioning better from sitting to crawling. He also started pulling up on furniture around the same time, but did not walk until he was at the tail end of 18 months. He was in physical therapy prior to all of this due to having had torticollis as an infant, and I was in touch with his PT when all of this was going on. Her feeling, which coincided with that of our Pediatrician, was that he was developing fine, just on the slower side of the curve. As a Mom, it's very hard I think not to worry, so I won't even tell you to try that :) - my suggestion would be just to keep an eye on things, keep communicating with your Pediatrician at his appointments, and try to keep your worries away from your playtime with him. Looking back, I definitely think my anxiety during that time period was felt by my son. By the way - he is now running around like a champ! Hang in there & good luck!

I know it stinks to have to be the last one whose baby is crawling but I still think you are in the okay range. My little man didn't crawl until 10 months but walked by 13 months which is totally normal. While I wasn't stressed about it I did do some work with him on sitting on all fours and we got this cute roller from babies r us for him to play on. I doubt it helped but he finally did crawl. Give it a few more months and I bet he will be cruising around the house. Also know that is normal for babies to "commando crawl" or to not crawl at all and go straight to walking.

Here is what we bought:
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2574140

A.-

I see you also have a 4 year old. It is amazing how different siblings can be. I have a 6 year old who met every milestone right on time or even early. I also have a 9 mo. old who doesn't really crawl yet. She kind of crawls backwards and does not pull up to a stand. She is very strong and healthy. My doctor said the same thing...some babies just take their time. I agree with the other suggestions for putting things out of his reach and let him get a little frustrated while trying to move to get to it. Good luck!

Don't worry. Many babies don't crawl till much later. Some walk first, and learn to crawl later! You didn't mention your son's size, and that may be a factor. Just encourage him in the direction of physical activity. "Tummy-time" is valuable in strengthening muscles he needs to venture out into rolling and pulling himself up, and eventually crawling.
I had 5 healthy children who all developed their own timetable for baby milestones. Enjoy him!

M. K

Have you done an internet search to see if you can find info about this. I would think that if your doctor isn't concerned then maybe you shouldn't either. But I also understand the incredible intuitive powers mother's have about their children. So if it is really bothering you, then I would seek another opinion.

My oldest crawled at seven months and walked between 9 and 10 months. The second child crawled about eight months or so, but she wouldn't take a step until she was 15 months old.

The little one I babysit didn't crawl for quite awhile and she started walking at about 13 months or so....but she is in a home with grandparents who would pick her up if she just smiled at them. Why walk or make any effort to move if someone will carry you around?

Every child develops at different stages. He may just be a content child to sit and play. Try putting snacks or bottles out of reach on the floor to encourage him to go get them. Maybe he just needs a little encouragement. It could be a fun thing for him and mommy to work on.

Good Luck!!

Don't worry, A.. I am a SAHM of 2 boys ages 5 and 11, worked in the early child hood field for 14 years with todds and two's (and still do one day a week), and have 2 nieces and 1 nephew as close to me as my own. Children at this age develop so differently and you have no need to worry especially if everything else seems to be going in the right direction. My oldest never crawled, but had the army crawl mastered until he walked at 14 months! Now you would never guess. My youngest was walking by 9 months and always met the milestones slightly ahead of the curve! I am sure your child will be just fine. Sometimes I feel doctors can be quick to rush(though some precaution is a good thing), but it sounds like you should follow your doctors relaxed attitude! Besides once they start moving you might wish to go back to a time when they were immobile. Enjoy the gift and goodluck!

Do not rely on your pediatrician. If you have concerns have your child evaluated. In the event that there may be an issue, the sooner your child gets help, the better.

Don't worry about it, really. He will be crawling soon enough. Enjoy this time because once he is crawling around, you will be running around trying to catch him. I understand your concern though. My daughter did not crawl until 10 months, but then started to walk at 11 months. Go figure. So, be patient and enjoy this stage. He will soon be crawling and walking. Promise.

do we have the same ped (lol)? my son is doing the exact same thing, or not doing. he is now 10 months old and is not crawling or pulling to stand. he can scoot from one side of the room to another in the blink of an eye. my ped says he is lazy (jokingly) and that I need to help him practice standing everyday. I am married to a physical therapist who is not worried about him at all. maybe your son will skip crawling and go straight to walking. no worries! sounds like he is doing great in every other way!

Hi- I'm a pediatric Occupational therapist and I evaluate babies from birth to three years. Based on what you your little guy sounds like he is within the range of normal. I tend to be more cautious and over analyze development (because of my job) so I would say wait another month and see if he starts moving out of sitting. If he doesn't, then maybe get him evaluated by a physical therapist. You said that he can sit and play unassisted. If he reaches for a toy that is a little out of his reach does he tip over or can he maintain his balance while he is rotating his trunk to reach for toys? I'm a big advocate of crawling so I would wonder why he isn't crawling but he is doing some type of combat crawl. That being said I have several friends whose kiddos did this combat crawl thing and they are fine. If you need a peace of mind you could contact the Early Intervention program in your state. If you are in Illinois, it is called Child and Family Services. They provide free evaluations and if the child qualifies therapy price is determined by a sliding scale. If you have insurance, you could call a pediatric outpatient clinic and have a PT eval done. I hope that is helpful. All this being said, as you know, there is a huge range for "typical".

my son was opposite... could army crawl long before he could sit up by himself. Every child is different. My older brother never crawled, didn't walk until a year and ended up being a very bright very athletic man. A friend of mine's son never showed interest in crawling but is just fine now. If he's other developmental milestones are being met and he has motor skills, I would listen to the doctor.

My daughter never crawled - until after she could walk. She was completely uninterested in being on her stomach. She would sit and look at books and played with toys - but would never crawl. By the time she was in school she was very quick to read and loved reading all through her grammer and high school years. She is am amazing young lady now.
(someone once said she would not read well if she never crawled - good thing I didn't listen to her).

Give him lots of colorful hard card books to look through - maybe he also will love to read when he's older.....

I'm not sure your son is so slow to meet his gross motor milestones. I have a nine and a half month old son, and while he does the army crawl, he only recently began to move from sitting to other positions and pull himself to standing. At our nine month appointment, our pediatrician was happy with his development. Babies will focus on developing one area at a time. Maybe your baby is developing his fine motor skills to the detriment of his gross ones. I think you still have time before you need to worry.

Our baby didn't crawl much either until about 8 1/2 months. Almost immediately after that, he started pulling up on furniture and cruising around. At 10 1/2 months he was walking, yet earlier I was concerned that he was 'so far behind'. Now at 12 months, he's walking forward and backward, squatting down to pick up things, and crawling up the stairs.

Just keep an eye on it because he might start moving more in a little bit of time. Ask again at your 12 and 15 month appointments.

I am a PT in Early Intervention. It sounds like he is just what we would call the later end of normal:) There is a large range for kids to achieve motor milestones. Like the pp said if you are concerned go ahead and talk to your pediatrician about referring him for an eval through Early Intervention. The evaluation is free of charge(covered by the state) and if he isn't eligible they can give you some great ideas to help foster his development.

My son is 11 months, and has a very effective "army crawl." Some kids never crawl on all fours, it's nothing to worry about. Also, second children aren't as interested in standing, etc. as first children. No doubt your older son is a great help to your younger son, and therefore your younger little guy doesn't feel the same urge to pull himself up that his older brother did.

If your ped. isn't worried, don't worry. It's perfectly normal, especially when there's an older sibling.

A.,

I had the same concerns/anxiety about my son and had all kinds of tests/assessments run on him. He didn't sit until he was nearly 10 months old . . . didn't walk until he was nearly 16 months old. The weekly emails on "what your child should be doing this week" gave me so much anxiety that I cancelled the subscriptions and I pressed my doctor for these assessments! My doctor, like yours, was not concerned. My son is now 2 1/2 and is ahead in speech (plus he is bi-lingual) and has developed beautifully. Looking back, I wish I would have trusted in his abilities. I now beleive that children grow and develop at their own pace. When their bodies are ready to sit, crawl, stand walk, etc. they will.

Hi A., my name is A. and while I am an excited mom to be and have had no experience of this with my own child I have seen two similar cases in my family. One was my cousin who was born cross-eyed and could only see very close distances and the other was with my niece who was very close to a year and was not even crawling yet. In both cases glasses made an extreme difference, so maybe you should consult an eye doctor. Hope this is helpful.

Hi A.,

My son is also 9 months and is at the same exact place to a "T". Except he is not yet pulling hisself up to standing yet, he's about 1/2 way there. He's just now really getting into the army crawl and pushing off with one leg. I've heard that every infant gets to milestones at different times depending on the individuals they are, so I personally am not worried with where my son is at with this. Maybe it helps to know another mom in a similar scenario isn't worried?

Best,
Jen

I also would not worry. My son was in EI for forever and did everything late. My daughter was late too and the ped. wanted her evaluated and I held off. I am so glad I did not waste money on PT for her, she's fine, crawled at 11 months and walked at almost 15 months, and there is nothing wrong with her. Just give it some more time.

your child is probably fine. Put things just out of reach and let him scream to get them which ultimatly will prompt him to start trying. ( Im betting your twins are moms big helpers in taking care of their 9 month old sibling and he just doesn t need to do much for himself!). Most people are so exceited when their children start walking early as if their child is superior but research shows most children who walk too early tend towards ADHD or other disorders. Do not push your child to walk before 1 year old.

I wouldn't be concerned at all! Every kid develops differently. And that is actually not uncommon to not be crawling at his age.

I was worried about the same thing with my infant who is now 10 months. He still doesn't crawl and doesn't even attempt to pull himself up. My pediatrician was not worried. And despite the fact that I know that those ages they give in the books for milestones are averages and all babies progress at their own rate, I still was perplexed. I finally asked an occupational therapist I work with, and she assured me that his development is very normal. She told me that to give it a couple of more months. When he's ready to try, he'll do it. So I've decided to postpone my worrying until he's one year! Until then, I'll just go along with his pace! I'd tell you to do the same thing, especially since your son is developing normally in all other domains. But should you really like an expert opinion, I would suggest that you see a physical or occupational therapist. Or you could consult a developmental therapist. Try City Kids; they're fantastic!

Everybody develops differently and it is so hard not to compare to another child. My son was crawling at 5 and walking at 10 months but my friends daughter didnt walk until almost 15 months. If your ped is not concerned- have you asked him/her when should I be concerned or tell them you would like to have your child evaluated to help put you at ease.

I wish I wasnt as easy going as I was and asked to have my son evaluated- he didnt say 10 words at 2 and a half. he didnt like puzzles, stacking or other things a lot of babies like to play- he didnt like feeding himself- only to realize in kindergarten he had visual issues- even though he has 20/20 vision. he goes to pediatric place for visual therapy and now at 7 we realize he has sensorintegration issues as well.

sorry to make this long but I am sure its fine but if you are nervous there is no harm done by having him evaluated. Good luck!

Your little boy may start showing these skills in the next few weeks which would still be in the "typical" development range. (crawling is usually mastered between 8 - 10 months. Pulling to standing will happen between 6 and 10 months) It sounds like his talents lie elsewhere! But if in a month or two you are still concerned - every state has early intervention services that provide free developmental assessment This website should help you find the one in your state: http://www.nectac.org/search/mapfinder.asp
I'm a director of early childhood (birth to five) programs. We provide preschool, parent education and screenings to about 400 families each year. Your question is right on target!

A. K, a friend of mine also had a child about this age (actually both boys were this way) that was doing the army crawl still. I told her that her concerns would soon come to pass, and sure enough, he learned to crawl, pull up and now cruise all in a matter of a month or so. If he isnt pulling up by around a year, i would maybe have someone look into it, but i think time heals most of this. If he is doing all the other things, chances are he will do those things, too. Kids just take their time, sometimes! Chin up, he will soon be into everything!

Hi A.-
I work very closely with physical therapists in Early Intervention (I am a speech therapist) and also the mother of a 9 month old son and it sounds like your child is just fine. There is a wide variation on when children crawl that is, in large part, depenent upon their personalities. My son did the kind of creeping that you described and has just started more typical "crawling" but he only crawls to get to a toy he wants. My daughter, on the other hand, just liked to crawl around and explore. If he's sitting up, playing with toys and seems to be using both sides of his body in a relatively balanced way, I would say relax and enjoy him. If you continue to be concerned you can obtain a free evaluation through Early Intervention. Just search for Early Intervention in your state for information. Good luck and congratulations on your baby!

every child meets them when they are ready. both of my boys have been late crawlers and walkers. please don't be concerned until your pediatrician is. there is enough to worry about with little ones!

my godson was 14 monts old when he star walking...he is doing great now...don't worry.

My son wouldn't do any of those things, then one day he started crawling, then trying to stand and then started walking (within a month/month and a half).

Some kids just progress later. Some kids work on talking first, some kids work on walking. If your child is working on talking they will be slower in other things and vise versa. Just FYI. Some kids don't walk until a year and a half (and some just don't crawl or progress until later). Especially if you pediatrition isn't worried, I wouldn't worry. Be patient each child is different and progresses at his or her own pace. All of us have learned to walk & crawl. [actually I never crawled- per my mother, one day I just got up and started standing. This really freaked out my father. From what I understand this does happen. It is just that when the child falls- they cannot crawl to get up (at least at first)]

So don't worry, be happy and patient!

Hi A.,

If the Dr. is not worried then don't stress. My daughter didn't crawl until 10 months & didn't walk until 17 months.

Just like your Ped. said, don't worry. That's a hard thing to ask of a new mom but I have known babies that never crawled. They just picked themselves up and started to walk around tables. Shortly after, they walked around the floor. Put a couple of his favorite toys on the cocktail table or on something stable that he can't reach without standing. Make sure he can see the toys from his lower position. When you're not looking, he'll get the toy. Boys are slower in a lot of things compared to girls but it all seems to work out in the long run. Don't worry mommy.

Do not spend another second worrying instead of enjoying the fact that your child is staying in the easiest stage a little longer. This is one of those watch out what you wish for scenarios. I have 3 kids, one is nine months as well. He is very far from crawling, but will when he is ready. My first child is special needs and has a syndrome, so although I am not a professional, I like to think my experience is worth while. It was so clear that something was wrong at 9 months. When my second came, I worried that he was not crawling at 9 months. He did eventually and is doing great. Stop reading about what they should be doing and enjoy that baby. If the Pediatrician is not concerned, you should not be either. Hope that helps.

I agree with your pediatrician. My first son didn't crawl until he was 10 months, walked at 13 months and is 9 now with straight A's and is a super star in baseball. My second son is 5 and I couldn't help comparing everything he did with my older son's milestones. Again, he was a late bloomer and is totally smart and sweet and social. Now, I have a 16 month old girl who has completely surpassed both of them in regards to those baby milestones. I would try not to read too much into the "general guidelines for baby milestones". Babies do things on their own time for good reason.

Hi A.,
I read your posting and it reminded me of one of the boys at my church. He did not crawl until after he was a year old. He just did that "belly crawl" thing. Then, all of a sudden, he was walking! He crawled for about a week and then went right to walking. I wouldn't worry about anything. If doc says he is delveloping OK, then just wait and see what happens. Good luck!

Everything sounds fine to me. I have a stepson who spent the last 6 months confined to a swing when I got him around 10 months old. At first he just couldn't crawl. But then around his first birthday he started crawling with a vengence and in fact only crawled for about three weeks before he stood up and took his first steps. My baby girl didn't crawl until really late (and she spent a lot of time on the floor) and she is really smart. I also had one son who was very physically small and he developed all his gross motor skills really late ( a couple years). I also have two kids who hit their milestones right on time or even early. All kids develop at their own rate so don't obsess over the numbers. Just love him and he'll get along at his own pace.

DON'T WORRY. At all. 9 months is the AVERAGE age that kids may start to crawl, but some don't crawl at all (like my son). He can sit, he can creep, etc. this is great. To give you a reassuring example, my son sat and did not creep or ANYTHING until he was 11 months old. Then he did a crazy creep/crawl for approximately 1 week. Decided that was lame, so he pulled himself up and walked. He was walking at 11.5 months and has never looked back (he's 21 months now).

Just make sure he has plenty of time on the floor and not in a jumper/exersaucer etc, so he can roll around and be free to move. He'll figure it out in his own time. I wouldn't worry about the crawling/walking thing for at LEAST another 3 months. At 1 year I would expect him to be a bit more mobile, whether it's on his feet or his knees, or just a super-fast "power-creep".

Don't worry about your son's development at all. Babies develop and learn new things on their own and in their own time. My oldest was crawling by 8 months old but my youngest is just about 8 months and not even attempting to crawl. I was at first very concerned with that and talked to the pediatrician about it. He said not to worry that they hit milestones on their own timetable. As long as he's doing the things you say he is, it shouldn't be long. Some kids just all of a sudden crawl one day and some take a while to figure it out. He'll be fine. Hope this helps!

My 9-month old son behaves exactly like yours. In fact, my son doesn't even creep -- he rolls wherever he wants to go and has even begun scooting in a sitting position when I put him on the kitchen floor! His pediatrician says that some kids skip the crawling stage altogether and go straight to walking. If your doctor says he's fine, then try not to worry.

Honestly, it sounds like your 9 month old is within reasonable range so I would try and not worry. Secondly, if your pediatrican doesn't have concerns and you trust him/her, then I wouldn't be concerned and can discuss at your 1yr. If you want further detailed evaluation, you can do this for free through the State of IL through Early Intervention program. But I am sure your little guy is fine!

I have a son who is now almost 6 years old. He did not crawl or any of that stuff you mentioned until he was around 10 months old. He did seem to be a little behind in gross motor skills, but not too much. If you are concerned, you can always call Early Intervention and have them come to your home and assess your son, free of charge.

I also wanted to add that while USUALLY this type of thing isn't something to worry about, that is our job as moms, right? What I mean is, we love our kids and we do worry about these types of things, especially when we don't have anything to compare them to or the only kids we do have to compare them to are ahead of the game. Sometimes, things do go wrong and it's great when we are on top of them. If you are worried, get it checked out. I hate it when people tell me not to worry about something when I'm obviously worried. Just turn those worries into action! Good luck!

A.: I have been an educational advocate for over 15 years, helping parents navigate the special education system, and the parent of two adults with disabilities. If you have a concern, your son should be tested to see if he is developmentally on schedule. Early intervention is critical if children are going to reach their full potential. Every state is mandated to have an Early intervention system, which tests children between the ages of 0-3 years of age to see if they have disabilities, and they provide services to children that do. Begin looking into where your area provides these services; the testing should be free of charge. I may have some ideas where to look for your early intervention services, so feel free to E mail me off list. Good luck, J. C

my nine month old girl was in the exact same situation at her 9 month check-up and as a seasoned mother of three I about fell over when my pediatrician recommend we have her evaluated by early interevention (a free state funded evaluation and treatment team). The physical therapist is actually coming today, but at almost 10 months now, she is just starting to pull up, is going from laying to sitting and sitting more confidently on her own...(she too was creeping all over, just not actually crawling). I think it has all been much ado about nothing, but if you are concerned you can easily ask your pediatrician about early intervention and they will come to your house and evaluate him for free! email me if you have any more questions!