Is walking before age 1 detrimental to hips?

[einnob]

Hi all

My 10mth old DS has been crawling since 6.5 mths and progressed to standing unaided in the past few weeks.  He is also furniture cruising more and more.  Last week I noticed that the nursery began practising his walking by holding both his hands.  Someone recently told me that she had actively discouraged her son from walking before he turned 1 because an orthopaedic told her that it can have detrimental impact on his hips in the long term.  This friend's cousin (allegedly) walked at 7 mths and this destroyed her hips at the age of 22.

Would appreciate any feedback/ comments.  I don't want to discourage Maximilian from walking if he wants to, but I don't want him having a hip replacement at 22 either!      

[sophiems]

I've never heard anything about this.  I was walking at 6 months because of dislocated hips than had casts and such and had to relearn at 10 months.  I'm 27 and no problems yet!  In fact, I'm quite certain that all of my 7 siblings were walking around or before 1 yr and no one in my family has had any problems. 
Both of my kids walked at 11 months.  I think the more detrimental thing would be to prevent your child his/her natural progression of development, but that's just my opinion.  How would you prevent a toddler from walking anyway...keep him in a pack n' play all day?      Just seems a bit strange to me. 
I would think that the more likely conclusion with this person is  that there were hip issues that went unchecked and that's why she walked so early (often happens with dislocated hips, as in my case) and then she didn't have problems until older.  Doctors were notoriously not able to screen for those problems in the 70s.  My Mom went through an awful time trying to convince the drs. that she knew something was wrong. 
Well, that's just my unprofessional, mom-gut opinion, for what it's worth.   

[Johno & Aurelias Mum]

As far as I know, its just puppies that you have to discourage from overworking their joints when young!

I walked before 1 and I have no problems.  My older sister was born with no hip joints and had orthopaedic surgery before I was born so we were all watched carefully.  I'm sure if there was a concern, someone would have said something to my Mum

[einnob]

hi sophiems and jonosmum, thx for the replies.  i'm relieved that i don't have to tie maximilian down!  and i guess logic says that (unless one's hips are dislocated) a child will walk when he/ she is physiologically able to do so, and no encouragement or dissuasion can do otherwise.