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Irelyn is now 9.5 months old. She was born just over 3 weeks early and was only 5lb 1oz. At her 9 mo checkup she was 15lb 12oz and 26.5 inches., so she's pretty tiny. I'm a bit concerned about her development. I think she may have low muscle tone. She didn't start rolling over till she was 5.5 months old. Even then, she didn't do it with ease...she seemed to struggle with it. I can probably count on my fingers and toes the # of times she rolled altogether. At about 7 months, she completely STOPPED rolling over. I have tried to work with her and she tenses up and looks scared.
She can pick up ANYTHING with her pincher grasp. But she won't put food in her mouth!! AT ALL! She just plays with it or keeps it tucked in her hands. She does put toys in her mouth. I could sit with a pile of marbles (I wouldn't of course!) and she would not put them in her mouth!
There are other things she can't do either. She can't sit herself up (she has been sitting without support since 6 months...she CAN scoot VERY slowly on her butt). She is no closer to crawling now than she was 2 months ago. She will just push herself backwards very slowly. She just started holding her bottle about 3 weeks ago, but she has to be lying down. She won't tip it up. I haven't even had to move the crib mattress down yet.
Has anyone had a baby that was delayed like this? I could use some reassurance!! Her doctor is also concerned and wants her to be evaluated by First Steps Early Intervention. Has anyone had any experience with them?
My other 3 kids were all right on track....my oldest walked at 9.5 months! I know they say no to compare, but it's hard not to!! Any thoughts or ideas would be appreciated!! TIA
Answer:
I'm so sorry you have this to deal with. My 13 month old didn't roll over until about 10 months, is now scooting, and I wonder if she'll ever crawl. She is sampling standing on her own and walking. Her Dr. isn't concerned. He says he doesn't worry until they're about 18 mo. for walking. She's into everything now as it is. If your Dr. is suggesting early intervention, I would take the suggestion, if anything, for your peace of mind, and then, if needed, she can get therapy.
Answer:
My youngest hit all of his milestones at the end of the normal range. From what you descibed I would say that you should have your child evaluated. I had mine. He was found to have low muscle tone and they provided physical therapy for him in our home. It really helped him. My philosophy is get kids help early and you can avoid some major problems later. Don't worry. I am sure everything will be fine, she probably just needs a little extra help.
Answer:
I wouldn't be concerned about her weight, it seems she is fine there. My dd was 16lbs. at her 9 month check up and my ds was a year before he hit 17lbs. and both are very healthy and were average sized at birth. All kids develop differently but I wouldn't think twice about having her evaluated especially if the doctor recommended it. I would be concerned too!!If it ended up being everything was fine your mind would be at ease, and if it ended up the other way, you'll have tools to help her!
Answer:
My twins were born prematurely too, 6-1/2 weeks early. They were my second and third babies. Now my first was also right on track or early with all of her developmental milestones. One of the twins was born with a lot of medical issues, and she's still not walking independently at 2-1/2 years old. (She's getting therapy from our school district for this...ours is called the Early Intervention Alliance.) Leah (my healthy twin) met her developmental milestones later than her big sister did, but it seemed like they were just very different personalities. Leah is much more laid back and easy going, whereas Elise was very determined and always on the move.
I will also say that, at least for my girls, in those first couple of years they're learning so many new things. Sometimes, they'd learn something, do it over and over again until they got it right, and then I wouldn't see or hear them do it again for several months. It wasn't that they couldn't do it anymore, but that they were moving on to mastering the next skill.
With that said, if I were in your shoes, I would absolutely have your dd evaluated too, as Desertmom said, if only for your peace of mind. Getting therapy for Lily has been crucial, and she's really doing well now. Like Hawkshoe said, getting help earlier may avoid issues later on. Please keep us posted! **HUGS to you**