Baby’s First Steps: Main Causes of a Late Development

While most babies walk between 13 and 15 months, some walk earlier and some later. Everyone has their own pace of development, and it is no more surprising to walk at 10 months than at 17 or even 18 months. At this age, it is advisable to consult a pediatrician to find out the reason for the delay. But if you want to learn more about the main causes of a late development and some misconceptions on your baby’s first steps, you’ve reached the right spot. In today’s article, that’s what we will talk about. Keep reading!

The Main Causes of Late Development

1. The baby is fearful. A bad fall can make him/her not dare to take risks.
2. He or she is very quiet. Some babies are comfortable with what is available to them and do not feel the need to explore further.
3. He’s an expert at crawling. He crawls so well and so fast that he doesn’t need to get up.
4. He doesn’t crawl, he crawls. Children who sit down tend to walk later because they haven’t developed the muscles and sense of balance like those who crawled.
5. Development is usually slow. The origin is often genetic. One of his parents was also late.
6. He is premature. Babies born prematurely tend to develop a little later than full-term babies.
7. He is a chubby baby. His weight takes away his agility and makes his first steps difficult.
8. He is an unstimulated child. He has been kept tied to his chair without moving, played with little, talked to little, etc.
9. The baby does not see well. Sight problems may make walking a challenge.
10. The delay is due to other psychomotor problems that the pediatrician can identify.

Stimulates His/Her Desire to Walk

Surely, your pediatrician will reassure you and tell you that your baby is healthy and about to walk on his own. He may recommend a few physical therapy sessions to make up for the delay. From home, you can also help him. Games to strengthen her little body and improve her sense of balance and coordination will come in handy. Placing toys within his reach that attract his attention and force him to move – ride-ons, balls, mechanical toys… – will make him want to stand up with confidence.

These are some of the most widespread – and most false – beliefs and myths about the child’s first steps and their ability to walk.

6 Misconceptions about Baby’s First Steps

1. If a child is slow to walk, he will be clumsy in sports. There are several reasons that explain this delay, and not all of them have to do with psychomotor ability. In addition, if the child starts playing sports early, he will recover his delay without major problems.
2. If he starts walking early, he will be a good athlete. For the same reasons, walking soon is not enough to predict future excellence in the practice of sport.
3. A chubby baby has a harder time taking his first steps. That capacity depends more on the muscular state of the child than on her weight. But it is true that sometimes a baby with low muscle tone is also chubby, because by moving less he consumes fewer calories.
4. If he doesn’t crawl, he has a psychomotor problem. Many children skip the crawling stage. But it is proven that crawling favors some aspects of psychomotricity, such as preparing the child for walking and improving hand-eye coordination.
5. You can hurt your back if you stand up in the crib before eight months. If he does it by himself, without forcing you, there is no problem. But if he doesn’t jump, wait until ten months to get him on his feet, when his hips are ready to support his weight.
6. If you walk too soon, your legs will bow. Children who begin to walk do so with their legs open, and if they do so very early, even more so. The reason is that their musculoskeletal system is not developed enough. As it grows, this “problem” will disappear.

There you are! Is your child getting older but still not walking? What have you done so far to encourage his first step? Let us know in the comments below.