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infant development

Often a child is diagnosed with hemiplegia only after failing to meet normal developmental milestones. Parents and medical providers, including doctors and therapists, use developmental milestones to assess whether a baby is meeting expectations for their age. Remember that children with stroke and hemiplegia are not meant to meet these milestones at normal ages, nor will they necessarily meet them in the orders listed.  Use these milestones as starting points for therapy, exercises and play time. Discuss your child's variations from these milestones with your doctors and therapists.

Sitting Up
Typical children move from sitting with support to sitting unsupported between six and nine months.

A small survey of parents of children who have hemiplegia revealed that their children did not sit up at the "typical" milestone of 6 to 9 months.  The children with hemiplegia were able to bring themselves to a sitting position sometime between  11 and 16 months. Please note that this survey contained a very small number of parents and is not considered legitimate scientific evidence.  If you consider that children with hemiplegia are only using one side of their body to pull into sitting, it is logical that it would take them longer to achieve this when compared to a child who is using muscles on both sides of the body.

Infant and Toddler Development

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The information contained in this Children's Hemiplegia and Stroke Association (CHASA) Web site is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment, and CHASA recommends consultation with your doctor or health care professional.