11 month old not sitting

[Deb]

My niece is 11 months old and she is not sitting on her own yet.  She has just started scooting across the floor, but, doesn't really seem to want to use her legs.  Also, when she is held up to stand on your lap, she pulls her legs up and doesn't want to stand.  She does have a long torso and that is one of the reasons her doctors are giving for this delay.  However, it didn't really sound like a very good reason to me.  She is otherwise very active; moving her head around and batting at things.  I know that my sister-in-law didn't put her older brother on his stomach much when he was younger and he didn't sit or crawl until later, but, not this late.  She seems content to just be held.  Is this something that we should start looking into problems, or, should we wait longer and see what happens?

[Tracie]

hi deb
my friend had this problem with her daughter and on examination it was found that she was double joined in most of the joints in body and this is why she could support herself.
that may be worth her being checked for.
tracie
oh if you look at the back of my friends daugters ankles it looks like she has a line don't know how this relates but apparently it does

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

Dear Deb,

It's not until the age of about nine months that most babies are able to get themselves into a sitting position. Remember, though, that developmental norms are averages, or typical, timeframes. Some children achieve milestones early, others right on time, others later. At this point, there's no need for alarm.

By ten moths or so, most babies are able to crawl. Is this happening yet with your niece? It's ususally helpful to place the child on the floor, on her stomach, nearby some preferred object that she will try to move toward.

Be sure to check with the pediatrician about her muscle tone and reflexes and be sure these are intact.