“My second child is 14 months old and hasn't taken her first steps. Is something wrong?”
My first child took his first steps at 10 months, but my second child is 14 months old and still hasn't taken her first steps. I am concerned. Could this be a sign of a developmental issue?
26 Answers
No two babies are alike--your baby will develop at her own pace.
No
Dear mom,
Fear not. Your 10 month old was indeed a speed demon, but the 14 month old by statistics and developmental standards is not late... if infact he has been able since @ 12 months to stand at the edge of the couch and by now support his weight standing solo for a little bit. The developmental specialists chart that by the end of the 15th month, 97% of infants are taking some solo steps.
The more important thing is to be reassured that other milestones have been met for age, and good progress in other areas are on track. Your 15 month and 18 month regular check-ups would be a good time to review the developmental chart with your pediatrician.
Fear not. Your 10 month old was indeed a speed demon, but the 14 month old by statistics and developmental standards is not late... if infact he has been able since @ 12 months to stand at the edge of the couch and by now support his weight standing solo for a little bit. The developmental specialists chart that by the end of the 15th month, 97% of infants are taking some solo steps.
The more important thing is to be reassured that other milestones have been met for age, and good progress in other areas are on track. Your 15 month and 18 month regular check-ups would be a good time to review the developmental chart with your pediatrician.
Probably no
No
If your child will pull to a stand and "cruise" around furniture, I would be patient. By 18 months, your child should take their first "steps". If the rest of their development has been normal, just wait.
Yes
This could be a sign of a gross motor delay. Usually improves with a bit of physical therapy. Some kids are just a bit slower to develop for many reasons.
Your pediatrician should be able to perform a good eval and guide u further
Your pediatrician should be able to perform a good eval and guide u further
Your pediatrician could answer the developmental part. However, some children walk earlier than others. Some talk earlier than others.
If you have a pediatrician, it is always better that he/she examines her to make sure there are no developmental issues. Not walking by 14 months is not always abnormal, there are other factors that may contribute to the delay, picking her too much, not allowing her to have enough time crawling, not stimulating her to stand up by helping her often. I have had many cases of perfectly normal and healthy children that didn't walk until 15-18 months, but we always have to make sure there are no issues behind the delay.
These problems are more common in second and third children, why? We tend to be more attentive to our first one, we have more time to spend with them and we are more attentive to help them along the way, we are also more anxious and worried with the first one. With the following children, we are more relaxed and less obsessed with them achieving certain milestones. This is probably within range, but make sure to address this issue with your pediatrician at her 15 months check-up that is coming.
These problems are more common in second and third children, why? We tend to be more attentive to our first one, we have more time to spend with them and we are more attentive to help them along the way, we are also more anxious and worried with the first one. With the following children, we are more relaxed and less obsessed with them achieving certain milestones. This is probably within range, but make sure to address this issue with your pediatrician at her 15 months check-up that is coming.
No some children walk later look at the whole picture of the child
Yes,is important to examine the milestones,and to be sure the muscles tone and motor systems are normal for his age.Beside that his behavior for his age.Any alteration on behavior should alert and a red flag for a neurodevelopmental disorder.
Well, I have nothing but good news for this question! That's always nice. Your child still has time to take steps independently before we should be worried. Although, there are other questions I would have to reassure us further. If your child is meeting other milestones such as having 5-10 words, the ability to pick up small objects with the index finger and thumb, and cruising around the house by pulling up on furniture? These would be other milestones which would be expected, and if they are met, your child is making great progress! There is terrific variability in the age that children meet milestones too. If you're a picture person, you might look at this figure to see how different these ages might be. https://openi.nlm.nih.gov/detailedresult.php?img=PMC2876049_pmed.1000273.g004&req=4
The milestone of "walking unassisted" which is defined as 1-2 steps unassisted is most typically met between 12 months to 16 months, and we tend not to worry about children until they are beyond 16 months and especially if they are missing other milestones or showing little progress toward walking unassisted.
Here is a helpful guide about milestones of all kinds for the various ages too if you are interested in all the things we look for in children of various ages: https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/pdf/checklists/all_checklists.pdf
This also offers helpful suggestions for parents helping their children. If you are concerned that your child is delayed, you may also apply for an assessment through First Steps for a home evaluation by Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Speech Therapy which will be available until the age of 3. They may also be able to provide additional reassurance or help your child with services if needed. Here is their website: http://www.in.gov/fssa/ddrs/4819.htm
I hope this was helpful. Keep working hard!
The milestone of "walking unassisted" which is defined as 1-2 steps unassisted is most typically met between 12 months to 16 months, and we tend not to worry about children until they are beyond 16 months and especially if they are missing other milestones or showing little progress toward walking unassisted.
Here is a helpful guide about milestones of all kinds for the various ages too if you are interested in all the things we look for in children of various ages: https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/pdf/checklists/all_checklists.pdf
This also offers helpful suggestions for parents helping their children. If you are concerned that your child is delayed, you may also apply for an assessment through First Steps for a home evaluation by Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Speech Therapy which will be available until the age of 3. They may also be able to provide additional reassurance or help your child with services if needed. Here is their website: http://www.in.gov/fssa/ddrs/4819.htm
I hope this was helpful. Keep working hard!
Children grow and develop at very different speeds. Time to independent walking is often a combination of temperament, physical size, and just who the child is. Early walkers tend to be curious, outgoing, fearless "go-getter" types who are slimmer and smaller and size, while later walkers might be more "chill" personality types, cautious, or larger in size. Of course, these are no absolutes and children are unique individuals. Time to independent walking, as long as it is within normal range (about 9-16 months), does not predict future athleticism or physical capabilities.
As long as your child has met previous gross motor milestones (rolling over, sitting, crawling, etc.), your pediatrician has not had any prior concerns about your child being too floppy or stiff, and your child is now pulling to a stand, beginning to cruise (walking while holding onto furniture), and consistently making developmental progress, I would not worry. Continue to encourage and offer plenty of opportunities to cruise and move about on the floor, and monitor her progress.
If your child has not met milestones previously, has had concerns for being too floppy or stiff, is not yet pulling to a stand or beginning to cruise, is still not walking independently by 16 months, or shows any signs of developmental regression, consult with your pediatrician for a detailed assessment. Depending on what your pediatrician finds during the examination, you may need further laboratory testing, specialty referral, or a referral for a formal developmental assessment with early childhood developmental specialists, including OT or PT.
As long as your child has met previous gross motor milestones (rolling over, sitting, crawling, etc.), your pediatrician has not had any prior concerns about your child being too floppy or stiff, and your child is now pulling to a stand, beginning to cruise (walking while holding onto furniture), and consistently making developmental progress, I would not worry. Continue to encourage and offer plenty of opportunities to cruise and move about on the floor, and monitor her progress.
If your child has not met milestones previously, has had concerns for being too floppy or stiff, is not yet pulling to a stand or beginning to cruise, is still not walking independently by 16 months, or shows any signs of developmental regression, consult with your pediatrician for a detailed assessment. Depending on what your pediatrician finds during the examination, you may need further laboratory testing, specialty referral, or a referral for a formal developmental assessment with early childhood developmental specialists, including OT or PT.
Many children do not walk until 16 mo. Your doctor will evaluate at 15 mo checkup.
I would need to know more about your child's milestones. When did she roll over, stay in sitting position without assistance? There is a big range for walking however the previous questions will help me find potential delays in development or perhaps low muscle tone. Does she give steps with hands held? Talk to your pediatrician for an evaluation of her milestones. If there are any concerns the most important thing is to stay on top of the situation and intervene early. Hope this helps.
No. He still has until 15 months to walk. See if she walks around furniture or when her hand is held
Late walking is not necessarily a neurological problem, but the baby should be evaluated by the pediatrician to check neurological development.
I know it is hard not to compare siblings regarding their development. It is very normal for children to not walk until 15-18 months. If your child is healthy and the rest of her developmental milestones are normal, I would just give her time. You should have a child visit at 15 months, so you can be sure that the rest of her development is normal and don't be afraid to express your concerns to your doctor. Good luck.
Hello,
There is a large variation of 'normal' for the gross motor milestone of walking. Some children walk at 10 months and others not until 15-16 months. If a child is not walking by 18 months, then we say that child has 'gross motor delay'. Some children have isolated gross motor delay from a variety of causes and for some children, it can be part of more global developmental issue. If you are worried, see your doctor who can refer you to a pediatrician for a review, if need be.
There is a large variation of 'normal' for the gross motor milestone of walking. Some children walk at 10 months and others not until 15-16 months. If a child is not walking by 18 months, then we say that child has 'gross motor delay'. Some children have isolated gross motor delay from a variety of causes and for some children, it can be part of more global developmental issue. If you are worried, see your doctor who can refer you to a pediatrician for a review, if need be.
It depends. You need to look at the overall aspect of your child development, including gross motor, fine motor, speech and language and social skills. If delayed walking is the only thing that is a concern, it is still within normal.
Nothing wrong. Wait 16 months and if still not walking then we should investigate.
For this case, observation until 18 months will be appropriate if there is not other milestones delays. Premature babies may start walking late. This also may be influenced by family traits.
Not really. It is normal for kids to learn to walk anywhere from 9-18 months. So even if your first child developed the skill a little earlier it's okay to expect variation from subsequent children. Your pediatrician is monitoring your kids development at each visit and will certainly communicate any concerns with you.
More information is desirable about this infant's development to comment. In comparison our son walked at 9 months and our oldest daughter at 15 months and later graduated magna cum laude both from college and graduate school.
Not all toddlers commence taking first steps at the same age. Many times it can be a mistake to compare one child's development to another's based on age. Many factors and criteria need to be considered but it is not unusual for a child to start walking after 14 months with everything being normal. Your child should be carefully evaluated by your Pediatrician and together you can decide if further evaluation may be necessary. A visit to a Pediatric Neurologist should be considered if any delays are considered. Good luck.
