Question..9 month old who doesn't crawl yet..experiences?

[KatieJ]

My Dd just called. Her 9month old son is not interesting in crawling or pulling himself up at all. He sits up and plays with his toys for long periods of time, but does not move much in his crib and is really not happy on his tummy. He is a big baby, 24 pounds at his 9 month check up 2 weeks ago. ( He was 23 at 6months, so his growth has slowed and Dr. says he is proportionate and they are not concerned about that.)

She is seeing a new pediatrician as her old one is moving on. She likes the new peds very much.

New Ped referred him for a Physical Therapy check up and guessed it would take 6-8 weeks and said if in the mean time he starts moving around and pulling himself up, etc..forget the appointment. That was 2 weeks ago. PT called her today and wants to get him scheduled ASAP.

They (PT) want to learn the underlying cause of why he won't move those muscles and said they are finding that when folks come in for PT they are discovering that many of them never crawled as infants.

They have not yet figured out the connection, but they feel there is cause for concern.

DD insurance is high deductible and PT will cost her 200.00 every 30 mins he is there....

 

So..experiences here? Anyone have a baby who never crawled?

[SailorMom]

I have numerous friends whose children did not crawl until 10 months, and they were big kids. Oddly - they only crawled for about a month or so, and then started walking :)

A PT evaluation isn't a bad thing - but I wouldn't be worried.

[Faith]

My big baby never crawled on all 4s when he finally did start moving. He scooted on his back. He was a late on most everything. Had months and months of PT.

[Pink Fairy]

I thought 9 months was totally in the normal range. I know at least a couple of mine didn't crawl until 10 months.

Edited May 18, 2011 by Mamabegood

[kchara]

My kids were all very slow crawlers and walkers. 9 months isn't something I'd worry about for us. Now, they all run wild. ;)

[KatieJ]

I thought 10 months was totally in the normal range. I know at least a couple of mine didn't crawl until then.

 

 

I think it isn't just that he doens't crawl, he really doesn't even attempt to move. When you put him down for a nap, he is still laying there on his back when you pick him up. WHen he is playing with is toys while sitting up, if he leans too far and feels he is goign to fall over, he just pulls back.

I am not overly concerned, as he is healthy and happy and big, but looking for some voices of experience here.

[texasmama]

I had one who didn't crawl until 10 1/2 months old.

[ksullivan87]

My dd never crawled. She scooted on her bottom then crab crawled using one hand and holding a toy in another. Then walked at 12 months. Everyone freaked me out about crawling being a neccessary milestone and something about brain development??? We have never noticed any issues, if anything, she is gifted. She does ballet is very coordinated so that was never an issue either.

 

That said, I usually always go with what my doc says but at 200/30 minutes it might be worth waiting a couple of months.

[dtsmamtj]

I don't think mine did much before 9 months either.

 

T

[LittleIzumi]

My kids both did not crawl until they were 9 months. My oldest showed NO interest in practice crawling or being on her tummy (screamed) until she up & decided to crawl one day. She went backwards once & then headed forwards, full steam. So for the first part of that month she was extremely uninterested as well. My second who crawled at 9 months had practiced a bit before but also HATED being on her tummy until she mastered crawling. 9 months is totally normal. If the baby hit a year without crawling or walking, then I'd worry.

Does the mother feel there's a problem? Usually mommy sense will kick in if there is really an issue.

[meggie]

I used to babysit a boy that didn't crawl or roll over until about 10 or 11 months. I don't recall him being super huge (but I was a teenager at the time and had nothing else to compare him too) He walked very shortly after he started. I personally wouldn't be worried. If your DD wants to take him in for peace of mind, I don't think it would hurt.

[Teachin'Mine]

There are really simple "exercises" that your dd can do with him herself. I would google, but it's basically having him lie on his back, and then she holds each lower leg and moves them rhythmically in a crawling motion - giving the full range of motion from bent on the chest to extended straight. Just do this for a few minutes at a time - make it fun. He'll get the idea and translate that to crawling in no time. :)

 

That'll be $200. :lol: No seriously, there are times that PT is necessary, but I would definitely give this a go before paying those prices. She can always make the appointment for a month from now and see what she can do on her own. Another thought is that kids learn best from other kids. Have a play date with some babies who are crawlers. You can also lead by example and crawl around too. :)

[kokotg]

My first DS (also big) didn't crawl until 9 1/2 months. He could stand up holding onto things before that, and he'd pull up on something if he happened to be right next to it, but he didn't really make any attempts to get anywhere until he turned over and started crawling one day. We said he had an "if I can't reach it, I don't need it" approach to babyhood.

[J-rap]

You know, I can't even remember when my children began crawling... But, I remember my oldest was very slow in walking: 16 months. He was just so content to sit and play with his toys, he didn't care about getting around. I would sit him on a blanket in the middle of the room, and he would just stay there. I always assumed his brain was just developing differently, more intellectually. :) He loved to look around and figure things out with his toys.

He grew up to be very athletic, smart, and daring.

[Pax]

If I remember correctly, not all babies crawl and crawling isn't considered a "developmental milestone" like sitting up or walking is. If they do, I think around 8 months is an average age (meaning some babies start much later). My youngest did an army one armed scoot thing starting at 10 months and walked at 15 months. He is now our most athletically gifted child! My daughter started crawling at just over 5 months and was walking by 9 months. She takes after me in our lack of gracefulness!

[gingersmom]

Why isn't she having him evaluated through early intervention?

 

There is no charge for the evaluation or the services.

 

I would rather find out if there is a problem at 9 months then waiting till 1 year+ and discovering there is an issue.

 

What is the aversion to going for an evaluation?

[Alphabetika]

My first two dd's crawled at 10 months, walked at 14 months. They were and are totally normal.

[twoforjoy]

My DD, who was 22 pounds at 4 months (now 28 pounds at 14 months, so her weight gain slowed down a lot), didn't crawl with any regularity until she was maybe 10 months. For a while she'd sit on her bottom and just kind of scoot forward (she probably started with that at 7-8 months), but it took a while until she was up on all fours crawling around. She only did that for a little bit until she started pulling up.

 

It also took a REALLY long time for her to roll over. It was a bit surprising because my DS (who had an absolutely freakishly gigantic head) actually rolled over when he was about 5 days old (due to the weight of said head). I'd say DD was nearing 6 months, maybe even after, when she finally started rolling over with any regularity. I think it's because she was so big.

 

Now, at 14 months, she'll stand on her own for a few minutes at a time, and cruise holding on to things all day, but doesn't seem super-interested in walking on her own. She likes to walk around on her knees, which is funny. Her ped isn't at all concerned.

[ChristusG]

Honestly, I'd probably give him another few months. If no crawling by a year, then I'd probably have him evaluated.

[mommyto4]

My daughter didn't crawl until 10.5 months and didn't walk until 14 months. Her three brothers all crawled before 9 months and walked before a year.

I really think there is a wide range of normal. But your dd should trust her instinct... if she thinks something isn't quite right, an evaluation would be a good idea.

[creekmom]

My youngest didn't crawl until she was 12 months old and didn't walk until she was almost 2!!! She loved chocolate, and I still remember putting mini M&Ms around the house on the furniture to encourage her to walk! Chocolate is wonderful motivation! ;) She is a beautiful, healthy little girl who loves to run and play and laugh now, but you can imagine how stressed I was at the time! I had her evaluated around 11 months, and the therapist said she had very low muscle tone- and not much incentive/motivation to walk. She qualified for a program called "First Steps" which was wonderful! You pay according to your income and the professional therapist comes to your home to work with your child. You can call around and see if there is something similar available where you live.

A few tips- tell her to make sure she gives her baby plenty of tummy time. This will help develop the muscles necessary for crawling. Most babies sleep on their backs (bc of SIDS), and if they're not given "tummy time" several times a day, it will delay crawling. - Also, there is a video out that teaches parents exercises to do with their babies to encourage crawling/walking. I can't for the life of me remember what it's called, but if you're interested, I can try to find out.

[mhg]

My neice didn't even bear ANY (none whatsoever) on her legs until she was like 20 months (worried us all terribly), now she runs amuck and is quite athletic at age 4. I read that research shows that the longer a child delays walking (delays NOT secondary to abnormality), the more likely they are to be athletic. They did some study on the NBA players back in 2000 - 2001 ish and found that the VAST majority were delayed walking and crawled for a statistically significant longer time than other age-matched kiddos. Aand that they didn't necessarily begin CRAWLING early either....the point was the longer they DELAYED walking in general. That was a while back....but it seems like they walked in the 16 - 18 month range on average (but I could be wrong on this last point).

 

But, just to be sure there's nothing up I'd just run it by the doc at my next visit but most likely that just isn't his thing just yet.

Edited May 18, 2011 by mhg

[AnnaM]

I had a late crawler :)

[Shellydon]

I think it isn't just that he doens't crawl, he really doesn't even attempt to move. When you put him down for a nap, he is still laying there on his back when you pick him up. WHen he is playing with is toys while sitting up, if he leans too far and feels he is goign to fall over, he just pulls back.

I am not overly concerned, as he is healthy and happy and big, but looking for some voices of experience here.

 

The bold part is the concern. Babies develop at different rates, but you want to see them working their way along the continuum of normal development. None of mine walked until 15 months, but they were pulling up, cruising and doing the other normal things that are precursors to walking. I would at least take him for an evaluation, then decide from there if I felt there was enough of an issue to warrant therapy.

[Sugarfoot]

All of my children were late crawlers and late walkers. All of them are small. They all talked early and had exceptional fine motor control early on. I think a lot of times when one thing seems delayed, others are "ahead" because that particular child is focusing on something else. Does that make sense? Mine all had what seemed like huge attention spans to other moms, too, because they were more interested, or just naturally inclined, maybe? to focus on fine motor skills-types of activities.

 

Does that make sense? My oldest walked so late that our ped. gave him 2 more weeks before she wanted to refer for an evaluation. He waited until the very. last. minute. And then he took off.;)

[mhg]

Oh...that bolded part reminds me. My first cousin is now 14 ish (born 1997). He's a totally normal kid, but I was talking to his mom about when they were babies and she told me that when he was a baby she could sit him in the middle of her bed (no rail), go take a full bath, and when she got back he'd be in the exact same place. That he had NO desire to move, explore, etc. and it really worried her. She took him to two specialists about it and they didn't suspect any problems/nothing came of it. May just be a temperment thing, but -- I'd mention it to the doc just to put the issue out there, but it's likely just that he's like, "I'm not hoisting this 24+ lbs. for THAT!"

[amo_mea_filiis.]

Why isn't she having him evaluated through early intervention?

 

There is no charge for the evaluation or the services.

 

I would rather find out if there is a problem at 9 months then waiting till 1 year+ and discovering there is an issue.

 

What is the aversion to going for an evaluation?

 

:iagree: But we did have a not so great experience with them. Even with the bad experience though, I did find out that ds's muscles from mid-back through and including heel cords were extremely tight. I did some exercises with him and he did end up crawling. However (again) here we are 6 years later and he still needs some PT here and there for tightness.

 

We started working on tightness at 8 months when his non-mobilness was a concern. It's about the same as you're (OP) describing; He would sit, but could not get himself to a sitting position. He would never lean forward for toys. He would get mad and fall to his back, but then just lay there screaming his head off until someone came to pick him up.

 

As for tummy time, my ds was a tummy sleeper and that was the only time it was "allowed".

[MamaT]

My dd never crawled. She scooted on her bottom then crab crawled using one hand and holding a toy in another. Then walked at 12 months. Everyone freaked me out about crawling being a neccessary milestone and something about brain development??? We have never noticed any issues, if anything, she is gifted. She does ballet is very coordinated so that was never an issue either.

 

That said, I usually always go with what my doc says but at 200/30 minutes it might be worth waiting a couple of months.

 

:iagree: My now 14yo daughter also crab-crawled, never would crawl on her all-fours. She also did not walk until she was 17 months old. She is now a very talented dancer, so I wouldn't worry too much yet.

 

ETA: She was verbal very early. She could tell us where she wanted to go in complete sentences. The day I told her she absolutely HAD to walk (I was 7 months pregnant with her brother), she took off.

[Mommy22alyns]

Becca was an early crawler, but Sylvia had her own timetable. I don't remember when exactly she crawled, but she didn't pull up until around 10 months and she didn't walk until 17.5 months. But there was never anything developmentally wrong with her.

[kristinannie]

Does he move around at all? My son never crawled, but he rolled. He walked late too (almost 14 months). He was also a big baby. I am not a pediatrician so take this for what it is worth, but I wouldn't be freaked out enough to spend that kind of money yet. Have they tried putting something he would really like just out of reach? If he isn't moving at all, then maybe I would be concerned, but not crawling is probably OK...IMO!

[Desert Rat]

My oldest didn't crawl until 10.5 months. He had no interest and, like your grandson, was a big boy. He didn't walk until almost 14 months. FWIW, he was reading by 2. I think the reason he wasn't crawling was because he was to absorbed in learning other things.

I can't tell you or your daughter not to worry, but 9 months is a bit early to be worried, IMHO.

[lmkzbcb]

I didn't read everyone's reply so excuse me if I repeat what some others suggested.

 

I have 2 children that didnt crawl until they were 11 months, and then only crawled for a very short time before they were walking. They are both fine without any developmental delays in other areas. In fact, they both went on to play some sports. One of my children would not try to walk until we moved to a house with carpet. She had tried to walk on our hard wood floors, but didnt like it when she fell. As soon as we were on carpet, she took off. It could be that gb is sensory sensitive. It could be that he has other things on his mind and crawling does not interest him yet.

 

She could try leg and arm massages. Also, taking his legs while on his back and making the motions with his legs as if he is bicycling or running. Taking his legs by the ankles and pushing his legs up with knees bent into a fetal position. Kinda what they do with people who are bed ridden to keep circulation going and keep muscle atrophy at bay. In her case, it would be to get baby's muscles accustomed to the motions and familiarity for baby's brain.

 

One more idea: if dd will remain during the PT session and watch everything, she could probably duplicate it at home. I am sure the PT will work with her on the visits and try to keep them down to the minimum. Only making an appt. when something new needs to be done/learned. If she feels the need to have PT.

Edited May 18, 2011 by lmkzbcb

[Pretty in Pink]

I thought 9 months was totally in the normal range. I know at least a couple of mine didn't crawl until 10 months.

 

I agree. OP, you said he is rolling over and sitting up, so he is moving, just not as much as some other children his age.

 

My second child was a very chubby baby. He rolled over and sat up late; he barely crawled at all but began pulling up and walking right around one year of age. He's perfectly healthy.

 

ETA: I meant to say that, were it my child, I would make sure that he got lots of supervised tummy time (begin with short intervals and work up to ten to fifteen minutes at a time...it will work better if Mom or Dad lays on the floor next to him and interacts with him). I would also practice baby massage and some exercises to stretch his muscles and get them moving ('bicycling' his legs, flexing his toes and ankles, etc).

Edited May 18, 2011 by Pretty in Pink

[JennyB]

My son is in PT and OT but his issues are different with Failure to Thrive as an infant. I would second giving Early Intervention a call. They have been extremely helpful with my son. Their business model is to teach the parents what to do with their children to help them. It has been an amazing program. My son does see a regular physical and occupational therapist weekly. Early intervention is at most 2x month and as little as quarterly. They will do an evaluation and then discuss what they think the best treatment plan is for your child. I know that if you don't have insurance then the state will pay for the program. It has been a great program but of course as with most state programs your mileage will vary. Good luck to the little one.

[beaners]

Everyone freaked me out about crawling being a neccessary milestone and something about brain development???

 

Crawling is a cross lateral movement. (I think that's right word.) Both sides of the body and brain have to work together.

 

My youngest is 9.5 months old, and he pulls himself forward but not with his stomach off the ground. If he wasn't interested in moving, I would probably just get things checked out to make sure there aren't any "fix-able" reasons. I know of one baby who stayed put because of fluid in his ears. He didn't show any sign of pain, but it was uncomfortable for him to balance or move around. The regular doctor was able to figure that out though.

[twoxcell]

Sounds totally normal to me. I have had countless friends and relatives whos babies didn't crawl at that age. Mine crawled at 5.5, 6, 6, and 7 months and they were very early crawlers in my experience.

[twoxcell]

Wanted to add that my first two were large babies and that did not slow them down at all. My sisters babies were all tiny and her boys were late crawlers and walkers, so I think size isn't always a factor.

[lmrich]

crawling is not considered an essential skill

it is not pre requisite for anything

 

not trying to move is a bigger deal. however he sounds cautious. he can sit up and not fall over by correcting himself - that is good.

[Barb_]

He does sound physically cautious. I had one like this. My oldest never tried anything until she had (apparently) rehearsed it one thousand times in her mind. Every skill she acquired, she mastered on her first try. She was an early sitter, a late crawler and an on time walker. She was later than average to feel comfortable on skates or a bicycle. Her brain just wasn't wired for natural movement.

 

Barb

[LittleIzumi]

He does sound physically cautious. I had one like this. My oldest never tried anything until she had (apparently) rehearsed it one thousand times in her mind. Every skill she acquired, she mastered on her first try. She was an early sitter, a late crawler and an on time walker. She was later than average to feel comfortable on skates or a bicycle. Her brain just wasn't wired for natural movement.

 

Barb

:iagree::iagree::iagree:

[Matryoshka]

One of my dds didn't crawl (or roll over) till 11 mos, but Early Intervention flagged it as a problem when she was 10 mos, and she started having therapy then, and was rolling over within weeks and crawling very shortly thereafter. She had some issue where she needed assistance with crossing the midline and oppositional movement.

[Isabella]

My friend & I had our babies at the same time. Mine was small and hers was big. Her little boy kept growing like a mushroom, whereas my little girl had tummy issues & grew slowly. Mine started crawling at 6 months & walking by 9 months. I think her boy only started rolling over at 7 months, and was basically still just laying there doing nothing at 9 months. It was weird to compare the two - my tiny girl running around everywhere, and her big boy just laying there placidly!!

He started crawling at 11 months, and walking by about 14 months. His slow start didn't hold him back at all - and he was normal in all other areas, I think his size just held him back from being physically active!

[kamom]

Both my sons never crawled till way later, as toddlers. One went from sitting to pulling up and walking at 11 months and one went from sitting to walking at 9 months. Strange, I know.

 

The both kindof scooted around on their bottoms and both hated it on their bellies, so they never learned to crawl.

 

I would not worry or intervene at this point. Just play with him and try to lure him to move.

[Ellie]

Does he use a walker at all? Sometimes babies are happy in those and dont' try to walk otherwise.

 

Even though he isn't "happy" on his tummy, I'd be putting him down on his tummy frequently (as long as I was there to watch him).

[KatieJ]

Wow! Thanks so much for all the replies! You guys are the best.

 

My DD is very concientious about her parenting. She has done tummy time with him religiously, he just doesn't like it!

He had an excer saucer thing, but when I was with them a month ago, he was not happy in it at all. He much preferred sitting on the floor with his toys. He would occasionally fall over and then reach for a toy, but he really preferred sitting up. I never actually saw him roll over, but I am sure he does.

 

I don't know that her Mommy radar is up at all with him altho I told her the same thing..If it's up, go have him evaluated. She is probably leaning towards letting him work it out at his own pace.

She did ask the PT who called her today about just working with him at home, but of course they would like to evaluate him first.

 

Cautious learner, I like that phrase.

[sbgrace]

Please let her know crawling is not a milestone. It's fine if he never does. If he can and does roll (if I recall this should be by 6 mos) I doubt he's missed any milestones.

 

My son was referred for a PT evaluation through Early Intervention when he missed the rolling milestone. He had been late on everything from head control on to that point. Our PT got him rolling and then did work on getting him to take a crawling position (all fours) because that is the way most kids get positioned to begin pulling up. The pulling up--leading to cruising--heading to walking was the goal. They didn't care if he crawled at all.

 

Also, Early Intervention will provide free (or very low cost in some States) physical therapy for kids who qualify. No way would I run therapy through insurance for a child under three without a really good reason to do that instead of Early Intervention. Her pediatrician should know this and should have referred her to EI if there is concern so I'm sort of confused by that. Peds should know better.

[lovinmyboys]

Is he bearing weight on his legs? My DS was accepted into our early intervention at 10 mos because he was not yet going from tummy to sitting or bearing weight on his legs. The crawling is not an issue, but I know that not going from tummy to sitting is considered a delay at 10 mos. It may be fine, but it is outside the "normal" range. We had a fantastic experience with early intervention PT. They gave me tons of things to work with DS on at home and it was really low cost. The therapist came once a week till he started walking then twice a month until he turned 2.

 

As an aside, the therapist really wanted him to crawl because she said that newer research shows that crawling strengthens hand muscles used for fine motor work.

[annlaura]

My younger didn't crawl. He walked holding me for a long time and on his own at 14mo. He would wake up on his back, exactly as I left him. He was late rolling over. My mother said square doesn't roll. ;) He was pretty chubby for a while. Now he's very physically adept and taller than wide.

[talk2ham.1]

It may be nothing. My older two didn't crawl until later. My third was a concern for a while though. For him it was an issue of low muscle tone. He didn't crawl until a year old and didn't walk until 19 months old. He is 28 months old now and only just learned to walk the steps instead of crawling them. He is very wobbly and holds the rail tight with both hands yet. For him, the low muscle tone is not severe. They say it is hereditary, but we have no family history that I'm aware of. Just a fluke, I guess. He's brilliant besides that. No signs of autism or developmental delays of any sort besides large motor skills. Fine motor skills are very refined for his age. If it is a severe condition, it is usually diagnosed in the first year. Early intervention is available if needed. My son has gotten past it on his own.

[Donna]

I am an Early Intervention PT. I would not be so concerned that the baby is not creeping (on hands and knees) at 9 months. The average age for that would be 10 months. I would be a bit concerned if the baby isn't moving in some way...rolling or commando crawling on his belly.

 

I say "a bit" concerned because there are many reasons why a baby might not learn to move. I can't tell you how many babies around 9-11 months have qualified for Early Intervention when seen by an evaluation team then by the time I arrive for their first appointment 4-6 weeks later are doing what they should be doing and don't really need services.

 

Some babies just aren't all that interested because they are the laid back sort and all the toys they need are usually within reach or someone hands them what they want when they yell. For these babies, upping the ante by moving things out of reach and encouraging more tummy time should help.

 

Some babies have low muscle tone (everyone's muscles are in a certain state of readiness to move...low tone means their muscles are not as ready as the average person's...these babies are floppy and may not be able to keep their head level with their shoulders when when pulled from their back to a sit position by their arms or when picked up under their arms their arms seem to slip through). These babies have a more difficult time moving because they have to get the muscles ready then figure out how to move on top of that (simplest way I can think to explain) so it is extra difficult to move then sometimes their joints are lax on top of that.

 

Simple ways to strengthen him while waiting for an appointment might be...

- carry the baby under his stomach so he is prone while being held

-giving him lots of time on his belly in small time increments to build up his strength and tolerance to the position (make it more pleasant by getting down on the floor with him face to face or using toys or a mirror to attract his attention)

-place toys out of reach to encourage him to move (babies often learn to go in circles while on their stomachs before crawling so placing toys to the sides may yield results more than placing them in front)

-sitting him on your lap and tilting him to the sides, backward and forward

-pulling him to from laying on his back to sit by his hands if he helps or his shoulders if he isn't helping.

 

My suggestions are not meant to take the place of a PT who can see the baby and figure out what is really going on. They are simple things any parent can do with their baby.