1 Year Old Still Not Able to Sit up by Herself - Would You Be Concerned?

Have you already tried the obvious? Ask what has the Pediatrician said about the fact that baby cannot sit up yet? If the answer is She hasnt gone to a pediatrician or doctor in months _let the mom know you consider that a BIG problem. If the answer is the Dr isnt worried express concern about the doctor. maybe she has already discussed it with dr. and just doent want to discuss it with the family.

Get a recommendation for an early intervention occupational therapy evaluation. Definitely behind, but this is touchy as family often feels "offended", so good luck.

At this point I would call in CPS for a wellness check if the doct has not even cought this yet this could be a major issue.

I would ask how her child is taking getting vaccinations and doctors visits. Get into as much detail as you can about how your kids were champs/freaked out/or had childhood issues. Ask for details, seem pushy but in a "Oh please talk about your lovely child" sort of way. This will tell you if the kid is getting regular visits and if she is not then you can move from there and say you are worried that she isn't. There are reasons that a child M. be this delayed but mom could be in denial (about 50% of the time at one parent is when it is something sever).

I'd try to phrase some very delicate, non-invasive questions to try to determine what's being handled. "What size is baby wearing these days?" "how do you like your pediatrician?" Try to talk open up your cousin while opening yourself up to her as a resource. There is something going on, and frankly, I'm fairlt scared for the baby.

i agree with kristina. You can make an annonymous call so that your cousin will never know who it was. To me this is a huge problem, most babies are running around the house by a year old and saying many words. and 12lbs I'm thinking the baby isn't getting the nutrition it needs. My son is 3 months old and is almost 12 lbs. The baby really needs to be checked out.

Just to be devil's advocate...
Just because your cousin doesn't discuss a "diagnosis" with you doesn't mean there isn't one. Some people tend to be a lot more likely to share that information than others. It is certainly possible that this child is being seen by doctors and specialists without you knowing.
Now, if you've asked your cousin, as was recommended by another poster, and she tells you that she doesn't take the baby to the doctor, THEN you have a bigger issue. For now, I'd agree with a PP...just ask..."I don't mean to compare, but if I remember right, I think my kids were walking and babbling around that age. Has your pediatrician said anything?"

I agree with Leslie M. I think you need to try very hard to have conversations with her, gain her trust, let her know that you are someone who cares about her and the baby, you are not there to criticize and you really do want to be there for her. She needs to know she can come to you and not feel like a bad mom.

I really think the last thing you want to do is call CPS, unless you absolutely have to! Please try all other avenues first!

I wouldn't be too concerened about her size. (unless you're very sure she's not gaining weight) Some kids are small. Also, many kids do nothing but babble at 1 year. Way too early to worry about speech. Most ped's will ask questions about speech and language skills, but are not concerned before 18 months.

She really should be sitting by now, so that is a concern. Still, I think your best bet it to really work on having a good relationship with the mother. You never know, she might have these concerns as well but not know who to talk to.

Good luck!

My child has spinal muscular atrophy. Not hitting milestones is a big indicator.

I'd definitely ask the mother (or have your SIL ask) what the doctor says about the baby's development. That will open the conversation gently and give you a way to address your concerns. Whoever has the better rapport with her would probably be best. It's possible she doesn't know how to bring up the topic herself or just doesn't have a very good doctor. You could offer to go with her to the doctor too. New moms can be hesitant and unsure and not know when to raise a fuss about their baby; of course, they can also go the opposite direction and call the doctor about every little thing. ;)

I knew a child in a similar situation, the little thing just had such an incredibly high metabolism she wasn't gaining weight or muscle tone. It was difficult to believe she was as old as the mother claimed she was. Her parents and doctor were working hard and the mom came up with feeding her a certain amount of oil (don't remember exactly what kind) that started helping.

Speak up for the sake of the baby! Be gentle but direct about your concerns. Offer as much help as you can during this difficult time.

That doesnt sound right. My cousins baby was diagnosed with SMA1 (spinal muscular atrophy) at 6 months, because she couldnt sit, or hold her head up, etc. Her muscles are so weak, she needs help to breathe, and has to have her mouth suctioned every 5 minutes, so she doesnt aspirate her saliva or secretions. Her condition, is very serious, usually terminal by age 2. (she was 23 months on the 21st) Its the #1 genetic killer of infants under 2- something like 1 in 4 people carry the missing or mutant gene, if both parents do, it causes SMA in kids. There are 3 types, with #1 being the "worst". The baby needs to be checked, asap.

Yes, this is a definite concern. This is a real delay and there is an 800# to call to get a free evaluation and then services as PT and OT and speech.........

I would not call Child Protective Services...........there is an agency called Child and Family Connections or some similar name....different names in different areas and the goal of this agency is to evaluate children from birth - three years with delays and provide services

Oh gosh! Yes, you need to say something and you need to say something now. I agree with the poster below, be gentle for sure. 12 pounds, that is crazy at that age. Also, not sitting up is super delayed and I feel like something is seriously wrong. That poor baby needs attention for sure. Also, what if these are not only delays but neglect. Actually, it is neglect if they aren't going to the pediatrician on a regular basis and they aren't doing their job as parents. Please update us on this situation! I feel horrible for this child that she isn't getting the attention she requires and deserves!

i would also have CPS called at 1 a child should be holding her head up. there is def something wrong

Agree with Kristina M.

Call CPS. this is completely abnormal. Something is going on with this child that is very, very wrong. Please advocate for this child since it seems the mother isn't. Best wishes and I hope she is ok!

M

Yes, something is wrong.
This is not normal.

The child, will suffer and be perhaps permanently delayed, if she is not seen by a Doctor.
"Guessing" at what is wrong, will not help, at all.
What good is guessing, unless something is done about it?

The parent, does not do anything about it.
Is the child eating/feeding normally?
Or is the child, not getting enough intake?
If not, nutrient 'starvation' can also cause, delays in a child. If the child does not feed/eat and is NOT given adequate intake.... then these delays, can become permanent, as well.

This is really alarming.
The child is not doing, what a normal child that age, should be doing.
And she is only 12 pounds.
Which to me means, the child is NOT being taken for regular well-baby check ups. Otherwise, the Pediatrician would have commented on the child.

Yes, someone should say something about it to the parent.
The child, is suffering.
A child, this age cannot fend for herself nor take care of herself.
The parent needs to be, doing that.
Responsibly.
The child is being neglected.
Call CPS... even anonymously.

The child, is at 12 pounds and 1 year old... in the "failure to thrive" levels. And her development/delays, are not normal.

I agree w/ the last 3 posts. Most seem so quik to call CPS. Unfortunately, 2 out of 3 of my children have developmental delay. After reading so many responses , encouraging calling CPS, I always feel the need to bore random people w/ my kids medical history, in fear of them turning me in. Now if you find out the child hasn't been to a doc in some time, that's a different story.

Yes, this would be concerning. My son has hypotonia all over his body. This could be why the baby is not vocalizing much either, there could be low tone in her mouth muscles as well. Unfotunately, hypotonia is usually a symptom to some larger problem. They never found a diagnosis for my son so he is just in several different therapies and still making great strides. It COULD be that your cousins pediatrician isnt concerned. I kept telling our ped that I felt like something was going on with my son and he just kept saying oh don't worry he will catch up. It wasnt until my son turned 18 months and was still not walking or cruising that the ped became concerned. However, my son was sitting on his own around 7 1/2 months old but did not walk until after he was two. This child definitely needs to be taken to a DR if she is not being taken. I would imagine there will be lots of testing in her future but early intervention really is key!

Yes that doesn't seem right.
Using this chart :
http://www.who.int/childgrowth/standards/cht_wfa_girls_p_...
a 1 yr old girl should be around 15 pounds. 12 pounds for that age is not even registering on the chart.

You don't say how much she weighed at birth, if she was a premie, etc. Being a premie and/or having low birth weight does play a factor. For premies, you should adjust their 'earliness', so if she was 4w early, her development skills should be on task for a 10m-11m old.

If it were me, I would ask if the dr. said to increase her bottle/food intake for her low weight. I would ask her if the doctor mentioned her needing extra belly time or exercise since she isn't sitting alone yet or crawling. Or I might ask her how if she's planning on switching to cows milk soon or if she's going to use toddler formula for a bit for the extra nutrients...

Approaching the mom and family is a very touchy thing since no mom likes to be told that they aren't doing something right. However, since this is a first kid/grandkid, they may not know they are doing something wrong.

Ex. A friend who's son is about the same age as my son, and at the time about the same weight. We went out to lunch. The boys were around 1 - 1 1/2y. I brought 3 jars of stage 2 food - meat, veggie, fruit and fed my son from all three, plus a bottle for after. My son ate most of the 3 jars and most of the bottle. She fed her son one jar of stage 2 veggies. That was it. She asked me 'he eats all that?'... my response: yeah, i eat more than just veggies for my meal, so does he .... she had never thought about it. she'd just open a jar and feed him til he wasn't hungry. She never thought about offering a balanced meal.

If you know the dr., you can call and ask them to inquire. They aren't allowed to share information, but you can tell them you are concerned. If they can't or won't help, then you should call CPS and ask for an evaluation.