Child Development Concerns

Back to:  Therapist Questions & Answers - Developmental Concerns

My cousin has a baby girl who is 3 years old. She can speak and sit but in an odd way it is like her spinal cord is bent. Her development is a problem because even though she is 3 years old, she cannot walk. She is small in the bottom and her hands and feet are small. When sitting she can fold her legs to make them a bracket. Can you clarify the problem with her?

Your question is difficult for us to answer and would be best answered by a medical doctor. As therapists we cannot diagnose children. From your description of your cousin's child a few things come to mind which you can research, one is Scoliosis (curvature of the spine) and another is Spina Bifida.

Again, since we are not doctors, we cannot say that any of these conditions apply to this child. She should be seen by a local medical doctor in order to receive a proper diagnosis and treatment/therapy. The way you describe her sitting sounds to me like what we call "W sitting", this is an article which describes W sitting and why it should be discouraged.

Back to:  Therapist Questions & Answers - Developmental Concerns