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Parents: Don’t use a baby walker

In Canada, the sale of baby walkers is banned. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) would like the same to be true in the US.

Why? Because baby walkers are dangerous. According to a study in the journal Pediatrics, between 1990 and 2014, more than 230,000 children less than 15 months of age were treated in US emergency departments for injuries related to walkers. The majority of injuries happen when children fall down stairs in a walker, usually injuring their head or neck, sometimes seriously.

But it’s not just stairs that can be a problem. Children in walkers can get their fingers caught, pull things down on themselves, or grab dangerous things (such as sharp objects or hot liquids) that would otherwise be out of their reach. Children can fall out of walkers and get hurt — and have drowned when they scooted into a pool or spa. There have also been injuries from toys attached to a baby walker.

Between 1990 and 2003, baby walker injuries decreased by 84.5%, as voluntary safety standards were instituted, and more families started to buy standers that didn’t move. In 2010 mandatory federal safety standards took effect. Among other things, the standards include measures to help prevent walkers from falling down stairs or tipping over, and to ensure that babies inside them are well-supported and can’t get stuck inside them. The rules also require a parking brake, to keep the walker more stationary, and have standards for the wheels themselves to keep the walkers safer. Even still, in 2014 2,000 toddlers were seen in emergency rooms for injuries due to walkers.

So why would parents use a baby walker?

Some parents buy them because they think that walkers help babies learn to walk faster. However, the opposite is true: using a walker can delay independent walking. That’s because learning to walk isn’t so much about learning to use your legs. It’s more about learning to pull to stand and then balance and take steps without support. When babies are plopped into walkers, they don’t learn any of that. They learn it by being put on the floor with something they can pull up on, like a couch or a caregiver.

The other reason is that babies like them and will play happily in them. This is absolutely true. Starting at around 6 months babies love to be upright — and love to be mobile, so that they can explore and be in the thick of things. However, there are other and safer ways to get babies upright, such as in stationary standers. As for mobility, the inconvenient truth is that not only do babies need to learn mobility by themselves, they need constant supervision as they do. Walkers can give caregivers a false sense of security and make them think that they don’t need to be within arm’s reach of the baby — when not only is that exactly where they need to be, it’s where babies want them to be.

So just say no to a baby walker. It isn’t worth the risk.

Follow me on Twitter @drClaire

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Contents

Many parents of babies over 6 months of age are experiencing an increasing need for attention in their children. Since a child of this age cannot yet move independently, manufacturers of children's products have come up with a device called Walkers.

A mobile device for teaching a child up to 1 year of age to walk and keeping him in a horizontal position is a baby walker. For support inside there is a supportive soft seat. nine0003

They allowed the young explorer to get the long-awaited mobility, and the adults to unload their hands. Chatty parents begin to ask questions to experienced mothers, pediatricians, and just look on the Internet for information about when you can start putting your child in a walker? Just in this article, the main points on which adults should focus on are considered.

It is strictly forbidden to leave a child in a walker alone!

Contraindications for use

1. The presence of decreased or increased muscle tone of the legs in children. The device is designed in such a way that the baby basically moves on toes. It is recommended to carefully adjust the walker and wear light shoes for the baby to better set the foot.
2. The child has diaper rash or other damage to the skin at the points of contact with the baby walker.
3. The child has signs of rickets.
4. The child has impaired function of the musculoskeletal system. nine0024

Must remember!

• Feet must be level;
• Put sandals on your child's feet;
• Adjust the walker to the height of the child.

When to use

Today's pediatricians are hesitant to give precise dates, as every child develops at their own pace. Therefore, when deciding for yourself how many months to start using walkers, you should take into account the combination of the following factors.

1. The most important thing is that the child is at least 6 months old! Optimal age when you can try to put your baby in a walker 7-8 months ! This is due to the physical readiness of the muscles that help the child maintain the body in an upright position. The child should be able to rise to his feet near the support or with the help of adults.
2. As soon as the baby can sit on his own without falling on the barrels, you will immediately understand that his back muscles have become stronger and the child can be put in a walker. How many months this will happen depends on each child individually (~ 6 - 8 months). nine0024
3. Psychological readiness of children. The child himself, with his physical activity and desire to crawl, walk with support, will give the elders a signal of readiness for new exploits. If the baby has not crawled yet (how many months does it start to crawl?), then getting used to the walker, he may completely miss this most important stage of development.

Let's talk about boys

Due to the physical characteristics of boys, many parents fear their long stay in walkers. They argue this with the possibility of a negative impact on the formation of the genitourinary system of boys due to the inevitable friction of the perineum, compression of the genital organs and the occurrence of diaper rash. When discussing the topic of when boys can be put in walkers, orthopedists and pediatricians advise to adhere to general recommendations, limiting the time the baby stays in walkers no more than forty minutes per day. nine0003

What about girls?

Parents of all princesses ask similar questions. The fact is that it is girls who are more at risk of developing hip dysplasia. This disease of the musculoskeletal system is aggravated by walkers if it has not been previously diagnosed. Before deciding how many months girls should start using walkers, it is worth paying special attention to her physical fitness. Any girl in the future will become a mother. Therefore, it is worth taking care of the health of her pelvic bones, joints and spine. nine0003

Behind all the pluses and minuses, one should not forget that a child in a walker will be able to look at the world from a different angle, train coordination abilities, become independent faster and satisfy the thirst for knowledge.

Walkers provide mums with a break.

How to choose a walker

• The base of the walker should be wide and stable (preferably triangular).
• The backrest must be rigid and high (to avoid improper seating of the child. Because the child's musculoskeletal system is still poorly formed). nine0024
• Wide and deep seats made of waterproof fabric. Not too hard.
• Large, omnidirectional wheels. The more wheels the better. Choose walkers with wheel locks.
• Adjustable height.
• Removable top with toys, tray or music board.

Buying a walker, young parents expect that the child will learn to walk earlier, will be able to move around on his own, learn about the world around him on his own, and they will have some time to rest. Are the expectations of parents justified, are walkers so practical, what are the consequences of their use - we will consider in more detail. nine0003

The positive effect of walkers on the physiology of the child: “FOR” walkers

• The baby receives new positive sensations and emotions, which has a positive effect on his psycho-emotional development.
• He understands that he can move freely, it becomes possible to explore the surrounding objects on his own, to independently reach and reach for a bright toy, to touch new objects.
• In an upright position, the child perceives his surroundings in a different way. nine0024
• Motor activity increases, which diversifies movements. During this period, physical activity has a positive effect on the development of thinking and the formation of new connections in the cerebral cortex.
• The baby is attracted by walkers as an interesting, exciting toy, to which mobile rings, balls, sound buttons, rattles are attached, which develops both fine motor skills of fingers and tactile sensations.

The design of the walker provides a good level of safety and is arranged in such a way that the child cannot reach dangerous places (sockets, stove, dishes on the table). For a while, parents will be able to "take time out", take a break or do the necessary household chores. nine0062

Negative aspects of the use of walkers: "AGAINST" walkers the child makes little or no effort to keep himself upright. In addition, he does not put his foot on the whole foot, but pushes with his fingers or, as it were, walks “on tiptoe”, which forms the wrong position of the ankle joint.

The baby does not fully develop a sense of danger and self-preservation, he does not know how to “correctly” fall, as is inherent in children, which sometimes leads to serious injuries. Learning this at a later infancy, the child will still have to go through the stage of “correct fall” and awareness of the danger from objects (door, door sill, corner of furniture, etc.). nine0024