The first 3 years of our lives are
crucial for our development. We learn to hold our heads, then roll, sit, crawl,
walk, run, jump, climb, and much more. All these milestones have to be reached
on time and in sequence. We learn to hold our heads at about 2-3 months, and
there are still months ahead before we can sit independently. We need to use
those important months to train our muscles to get strong enough to support us
in sitting. What does The Bumbo Floor seat offer
instead? According to their site, the product “was designed to seat young
babies who can’t sit up by themselves yet. As soon as your baby can
support their own head you can seat them in the Bumbo Floor Seat”. Basically,
what it means is: as soon as your baby can support their own head, don’t
let them develop further; just encase them in our seat, and they won’t have to
move a muscle! Instead of strengthening and developing trunk control, muscles
are excused from working. That may lead to developmental delays and even
developmental disabilities.
The Bumbo site further describes in detail
how the product works. I don’t know who wrote such a “masterpiece”, but it was
definitely NOT a physical therapist, nor was it a person with basic knowledge
of anatomy and kinesiology. When we sit in such a chair with hips bent (or
“flexed”), our pelvis is NOT placed in anterior pelvic tilt but in POSTERIOR
pelvic tilt, which does NOT facilitate lumbar extension but facilitates lumbar
FLEXION. In other words, it makes our backs and our shoulders become flexed
forward and rounded, necks hyperextended, and heads moved too much forward
straining the newly-developed neck muscles. Instead of developing control, we
develop poor postural habits and laziness. To add insult to the injury, the
company recently attached seat belts to further eliminate movement in the seat,
although making it seemingly safer. Or was it done to hold down the babies who
tried to escape this
jail?
If it looks like a
jail and functions like a jail, wouldn’t we conclude that it is not what we
want for our children? For the true love of our children, what do we want then?
There is no developmental equipment better for your baby than a clean floor and
your own body. If you want your child to develop on time, use the floor, the
safest place in the house because there is nowhere to fall. Place your baby on
his/her sides, on tummy, in supported sitting, across your lap, against your
chest, on your knees, and in any other position you can possibly think of, just
allow movement and change of positions. Let your baby explore the new world
without being stuck in a Bumbo prison. As always, when in doubt, seek
professional advice. Your pediatric therapists will gladly help.
