Special Needs Behavior and Development

Therapist Questions & Answers - Special Needs & Medical Diagnoses

My baby is 11 months old. He cannot sit unsupported; he slouches in stroller and in highchair. He can pull himself up but falls back once he lets go of stroller or highchair. He cannot stand. He can't put himself into a sitting position. He crawls on stomach and pushes off with both feet. He maneuvers very well in his walker, but uses both feet to push himself. He doesn't take steps like for walking. Also he has a deep indentation in his sacrum area. and I had a CT scan and surgery with general anesthesia when I was 5 weeks pregnant. He is also allergic to wheat, milk and soy and I think cinnamon. I have 3 other children and they developed at a normal pace. I am wandering what can be wrong with him. Mentally he seems fine.

Thanks for your question. The deep indentation you mention on your son's sacrum sounds like a sacral simple, they are fairly common and generally harmless, but in rare cases can be associated with problems related to the spine or spinal cord and can have neurological implications. The higher the dimple generally the more of concern it may be. Since your son is 11 months old and not yet getting into a sitting position independently, not crawling on hands and knees or bearing weight independently in standing and not taking steps with hands held, I would recommend seeing your pediatrician to rule out any medical issues that may be contributing to his delayed motor skills.

Sometimes an MRI is done to examine the sacral dimple and any relation it has to the spine and spinal cord. Some children who have delayed motor skills have either low or high "muscle tone" and so motor movements such as sitting, crawling and walking are much tougher. A physical therapist or your doctor can usually tell you if they feel your son has low or high muscle tone. I would definitely contact your local early intervention provider (birth to three program) and ask for a physical therapy evaluation so your son can begin to receive therapy to work on getting in and out of a sitting position, crawling on all fours, pulling to stand, taking steps with his hands held and eventually walking independently. 

Therapist Questions & Answers - Special Needs & Medical Diagnoses