Hello all

I'm sorry to intrude and ask questions, but I wonder if any of you lovely ladies could help me.

I am a Mum of 2 and also currently have a 11 month old foster placement. The baby is lovely but she is not developing normally, especially as she has little muscle use in her legs. FINALLY after 6 months of me going on about it they are investigating with blood tests and refering to a pediatrician and for physio. Of course, we all know how long that takes. She has also been diagnosed with global development delay

I'm stuck on how best to help baby until the physio comes on the scene and wondered if any of you had any experience of what would help. She will instantly raise her legs if she is held up so anything like a walker is useless (this was recommended initially by dr) Also does anyone know of anything I can buy her that we can use to help her???

I'm finding it so frustrating that everything is taking so long. The question mark round everything is that Mum may have left baby in the pushchair all day so she has not been able to develop properly, but now they are also questioning a "wiring problem" like Cerebral Palsy. I am desperate to help baby as I also have a 17 month old and 5 year old and baby is despterate to be off and play with them lol

Also are there any organisations that could help, if I contacted them? Both with and without a dr referral. Maybe one that could help sooner than NHS?

Many thanks in advance

Emma

Grateful Mummy to Katelyn (4) and Megan, born in April 2008

Hi Emma,

I can't offer much in way of advice I am afraid but I just didn't want to leave your post unanswered. Am hoping one of the lovely ladies from this board will have experienced this and be able to help you.

However, my DD didn't walk unaided until around 20 months and she is still under a physio now as still unable to get herself to standing if she is sat on the floor in the middle of the room and she struggles to pick things up off the floor if she has nothing to hold on to.

We have been under a pediatrician also and they did wonder if DD had Muscular Dystrophy as DF's Uncle has it. Thankfully she just seems to have slight Development Delay.

Have you tried a door bouncer instead of a baby walker? Can she sit unaided on her own? Would she allow you to pull her to standing or stand her holding on to some furniture?

I can empathise with you wanting her to be off playing with your own children. As my DD wanted desperately to do this with the other kids at nursery and it is hard to watch.

I would keep on at your GP and chase pediatrician referral and hopefully you will not have to wait too long.

HTH. Do let us know how you get on.

K

Hi

I've no really answers as to what will help her until you see the physio apart from maybe doing little things to try help build her leg musscles, like when change nappy move her legs like cycling, etc.

I can understand your frustration though as my youngest DD was the same yoiu are saying about foster placement. My DD didn't walk until 26 months & was 18mth before would put any weight through her legs. LLike you said she would just pick up her feet whenever you tried to get her to put any weight through them. The only thing i found helped a little was those activity centres they sit in, for most of the time she didn't put weight through her legs but she was upright so didn't get as frustrated watching her sister play.

 My DD did have Global development delay but her motor skills were the most severe. We did try Physio but unfortunatly my DD hated it & she wasn't making any progress, so we had to just wait for her to progress in her own time. Everything developmental seemed to catch up around her 2nd birthday & like i said she did start walking around 26 month old. Now she is 32mth she is still behind her peers with her motor skills but doing well.

We haven't had any diagnois as to why she was so delayed so far apart from low muscle tone & hypermobolile (double jointed) joints. I'm told it is likely she may have Dyspraxia but too early to tell. I was a VERY clumsy child & the suspect i had undiagnoised Dyspraxia, & these things do tend to run in families.

Sorry i've waffled on but i hope it helps.

Thank you both for your replies

Its so reassuring to hear about other babies, especially hearing they walked in their own time. I am truly praying that it is simply a delay and not anything like cerebral palsy

I think its just a case of every opportunity to move her legs etc. Hopefully the thought of chasing after my 2 will be the incentive lol

Thanks

Emma

Grateful Mummy to Katelyn (4) and Megan, born in April 2008

Hi Emma

Have you tried baby massage?  Isaac was a guinea pig for a lady who was training to do baby massage specifically to help babies with low muscle tone and it really helped him.  She tried blowing on his feet which Isaac loved.  Can you ask her HV for advice?  Sorry, not sure what the "rules" are with children in foster care, whether you would take her to see HV or GP or whether ss would organise that.  Hope you don't have to wait too long to see a paed and a physio.  In a way we were quite lucky as Isaac was losing weight so we were seen as an emergency.

 

Thankyou Elena for my siggy