What is considered late for walking?
Tiffany Gerhold
2025-07-11 19:05:53
Count answers
: 18
If your baby isn’t walking by 14 months, your concerns are understandable. But a baby being unable to walk at 14 months isn’t usually indicative of a problem. While some babies begin walking before 12 months, others don’t walk until 16 or 17 months. If your baby doesn’t walk by the age of 18 months, talk with your doctor. In this case, it may take your baby an additional two to three months to learn how to balance and walk, which is normal. Use your child’s adjusted age when tracking developmental milestones. The adjusted age is based on your baby’s original due date. If you have a 14-month-old, but you gave birth three months early, your baby’s adjusted age is 11 months.
Charlene Dooley
2025-07-06 08:28:59
Count answers
: 16
Generally, babies may start walking anywhere between the ages of 9-15 months, but in some instances, some babies walk earlier, and some babies walk later than this range. Generally, if a baby is not walking independently by 18 months, further assessment may be needed to understand why there is a delay and an underlying reason for this delay. Sometimes late walking may follow delay in other areas of an infant’s gross motor development. It may follow crawling late, as one example. Still, walking is an essential gross motor skill, and a delay in meeting it is bound to trigger concern in parents and caregivers alike if a child has completed, even if with a slight delay, their other major gross motor milestones there may not be immediate cause for concern when it comes to a late walker. In most cases, a delay in walking, without delays in any other areas of an infant’s development, does not cause concern.
Jarod Schowalter
2025-06-26 00:51:59
Count answers
: 13
Many children start walking around or just after their first birthday, however, if a child is not walking by 18 months old, it is time for a more detailed assessment by a paediatrician. Every child is different and delays reaching milestones are not always a sign of a more significant problem. Common causes of delayed motor milestones include hereditary family traits – for example, the parents were late walkers, and these babies often bottom shuffle rather than crawl. Late walking can also be associated with having low muscle tone or hypermobile joints. The majority of children who are not walking at 16 months will just be late walkers with no underlying problems. If all other aspects of development are fine and there are no other concerns, your GP may just watch and wait until your baby reaches 18 months old. Once your baby approaches 18 months old or other concerns emerge – especially delay in other aspects of development – an assessment by a paediatrician is recommended.
Margarita Herzog
2025-06-26 00:19:50
Count answers
: 21
Most toddlers begin walking between 11-16 months of age, although some don't start until 18 months. If, however, your child is unable to stand, support themselves, or walk by the age of 18 months, this should prompt attention from a pediatrician. Baby is not walking steadily by 16-23 months. If a baby is not walking by 16-23 months, a medical examination should be conducted to check their muscle strength, range of motion, and joint flexibility. There should not be any unnecessary concern, particularly if they started to walk by 2 years of age.
Humberto Batz
2025-06-25 23:56:37
Count answers
: 20
Toddlers usually take their first steps between nine and fourteen months. Give them time, even up to 18 months before walking is considered normal. If you’ve reached 18 months and baby still isn’t showing signs of walking, you can always talk to your doctor. For babies to develop at different rates is normal, and there’s usually nothing to worry about. If baby was born early (before 37 weeks of pregnancy), they will be developmentally younger than their age. It might seem that they’re reaching this and other milestones ‘later’ than others but in fact, they’re on schedule for their due age. What if my baby isn’t walking by 15 months, is a common concern, but each baby learns skills in different ways. Some babies bottom-shuffle early and walk late, others crawl and then walk, and some miss out crawling completely. The rate at which baby learns to walk is often inherited, so if you or your partner walked late, your baby might too.
Read also
- When should I let my baby walk outside?
- When can a toddler walk without a stroller?
- How long should toddlers play at the park?
- When can I take my baby out for a walk?
- What temperature is safe to take baby outside for a walk in the UK?
- What is considered delayed crawling?
- Do kids with autism walk late?
- Should a 3 year old still be in a stroller?
- What counts as walking for a baby?