WWYD - child with bad posture, slouching?

[magnoliaparadise]

Hi,

My daughter is 4 yrs 3 months and when she sits, and even sometimes when she stands, she slouches a lot - shoulders sagging down, spine prodruding in the middle.

It's too bad because she is tall and lanky and looks pretty when she stands/sits up straight.

I tell her to sit up straight, but a social worker at her school said that my DD will hear that as nagging and increase the behavior as she sees that she is getting attention for it.
The social worker said to ask my pediatrician if my DD lacked core strength and should get tested. My ped said she looked fine and I should just keep nagging.

What would you do? If she has scoliosis, can it be detected in a 4 year old? What kind of dr would look at it?

As an aside, I slouch, too, so she might have gotten it from me either by modeling me or biologically (I have a slight scoliosis that the drs/my parents decided not to address when I was younger).

TIA.

[brittone2]

The slouching doesn't have to be something like scoliosis, but since you have a history, it would be good to have it checked. A school nurse or family doctor can screen for it. She may have low muscle tone and or a weak core.

Does she have any fine motor issues? SOmetimes they can result when there isn't a strong core. You need that stability to have good fine motor control.

There are lots of fun core strengthening things you can do with her set up as obstacle courses and so forth. You don't have to make it about her slouching, kwim? Wheelbarrow walking (eta: if she can keep her body straight-not dropping hips low or raising them up but in line with the rest of her body. She may be too young to hold that position well), crab walking, etc are fun and can build core strength. You can play crab soccer for example-both of you crab walk and try to kick a ball back and forth in that position. eta: can also do various animal walks-pull yourself on the floor like a snake, do a "bear walk" (hands and feet), etc.

How are her other gross motor skills?

Any interest in swimming, martial arts, etc?

eta: if she's in school, and it is public, you could consider a PT eval. It may be difficult to show it impacts her function in school enough to qualify for school-based services, unless you are seeing it impact other areas like her fine motor skills and other things. If you want to work on core strength depending on the eval, you could pursue private outpatient PT. It is tough to say without knowing how she's presenting IRL and whether any of it is impacting her at school.

[magnoliaparadise]

Brittone,
Thank you so much. I will get her checked out even if I have to pay for it. I suspect it's lack of lower core strength and bad habits (if a 4 year old can have bad habits at such a young age). She IS able to stand up straight and her other physical acitivities seem fine (to my laymen's eye), like swimming and climbing trees, etc. She is very cautious and anxious doing some sports, but I think that's more psychological than physical.
I am going to print out your response and follow up on with a dr and evaluation.
Thanks!

[swissair81]

I have kyphosis, which often looks like poor posture. My DD1 is 9, and she has my childhood figure (slim and tall). My ped checks her every year. They missed my issue during scoliosis screening, because it wasn't so noticeable (or else the nurse had never seen kyphosis). My pediatrician noticed it at my 8th grade graduation when I walked across a stage in front of her. It was really bad by then.

[Katigre]

I concur with getting an evaluation as core strength is so important.

[magnoliaparadise]

Thank you so much for this information! I think I have this - wow. I never knew. Ummm... what doctor would look at this if I wanted to confirm a diagnosis? What is a 'back doctor' called?

Thanks everyone. I will definitely get my kid checked out - I suspect that the school is not going to do it easily and I might have to fight a bit, but I want to check this out.

Thanks for your insights.


I have kyphosis, which often looks like poor posture. My DD1 is 9, and she has my childhood figure (slim and tall). My ped checks her every year. They missed my issue during scoliosis screening, because it wasn't so noticeable (or else the nurse had never seen kyphosis). My pediatrician noticed it at my 8th grade graduation when I walked across a stage in front of her. It was really bad by then.

[swissair81]

It's an orthopedist. I wish we found it earlier. I've had years of PT, plus 3 years in a Milwaukee brace.