dear colleague,
I have found that the way children are treated is different in every country. Have experience (30yrs) working with kids in holland germany and spain ( and am a mum too). The way children are handeld varies per country.I also know a bit about the situation in aussie because I lived there as a kid.

One of the big differences between north and south european cultures ( and assuming that the people and life in the usa nz and aussie are similar to n. europeans ) is that in the south the children ( babies) are handeld the whole day. They are hardly ever in their beds, being carried around over shoulders, on arms, from one person to the next and falling asleep in all kinds of postures and places.
From day one they get a lot more sensory stimulation that children who are fed, get a new nappy and, after a little play and tummmy time, are sent back to bed again. ( a child needs rest is the assumption) .I have not seen many children with a positional plageocephalia here in spain, is not as common as it is in most of our countries.

If you send me your email address I will send you some information on motor development and especially the variation possible ( Prechtl). Prechtl stated that the range is motor variation is even greater than the normal motor variation stated in the AIMS manual ( alberta infant motor scale- the test for motor development ).

You still have many questions and you have every right to ask.
Hyponia is not easy to assess, and yes it is normal practise to observe children as an assessment. The quality of their movements, the possibilites they have to shift weight gives a reasonable impression.... AND...it always takes a while to get to know a child.
Your therapists first impression was probably very right..... changing weight is the first motor step to actually move.

I would strongly suggest you ask your therapist for more background information as well. You can also ask her what her idea is about the development and if you should see the paediatrician as well.
One of the things I have always said to all my patients ( the parents that is ) is that if you have a feeling that something is wrong, you might be right, so get it checked.

Suggestions:
what I normally say to all parents is.... give your child a lot of safe moving experiences....
ask an extra appointment with your physio to get ask all the appropriate questions because you sound worried....

NB 1 - My oldest son was born with a very big head on a long thin body... It took him a lot longer to raise his head and his motor development was slow. The people around me were a lot more worried than I was and I would get lots of comments such as.......
oh ! he isnīt crawling, getting up, sitting up etc etc all the time. These things can really get you worried. I would have to keep explaining that I knew nothing was wrong.
NB 2- I once treated a little boy ( the 5th in that family) who was not developing much as all. THE reason was that he was getting his way all the time.. if he wanted to have something, his bros and sisters would get it for him and he had learn early in life that all he had to do was to "ask" and he got everything delivered.... no reason to move at all, he could be moved if he so wished...!! You can understand he didnīt like me at all... I was forcing him to work himself and he fully udnerstood this.... it didnt take long for him to catch up.... there was actually nothing wrong with him at all...

If you send me an email. I will send you the information.
kind regards
esther
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