Bad Baby Walker, Good Baby Walker
By Dr. Stella Kandyba, PT, DPT
They come in different shapes, sizes,
and colors. However, they all have one big thing in common: they are all bad
for your child's development. I’m talking about bad baby walkers, the ones with
the support system which suspends babies' bottoms in the air. They are marketed
to make parents believe they promote walking in kids, when, in fact, they only
promote trouble.  Not only do developmental milestones have
to be achieved, they also have to be achieved on time and in a certain
sequence. Babies need to roll before sitting, sit before crawling, and crawl
before walking. What baby walkers do is encourage skipping one of the most
crucial milestones of our lifetime - the crawling. Most of the time, parents
unknowingly put their young babies in the walkers before they can crawl, taking
the desire to crawl away from babies and, thus, slowing down the development of
eye-hand coordination.
However, even if babies are put in the
walkers after they have learned to crawl, there are still many dangers for
developmental delays. Let's name a few:
- The walker visually divides the baby’s body into two parts: the top and the bottom. That confuses the developing brain into not understanding how to operate the invisible lower part, and that leads to proprioceptive problems like inability to figure out the position of joints in space without looking at them.
- The walker, especially with poorly
adjusted height, promotes toes reaching for the floor and ambulating on tippy
toes. That often leads to toe-walking which may become permanent. (In my
practice, since 2005, out of hundreds of kids with toe-walking problems, I saw
only two patients who had underlying causes other than those from the walker
use, and the rest were mild to moderate walker users. My first question to every
parent of toe-walking kids is always about the use of the walker in the past,
and, unfortunately, the answer is always “yes”).
- When babies are placed in a bumpered
device, in which they can bump into things around while not learning how to
avoid obstacles and balance their bodies, their brains are not forced to
learn to balance, and we all know how important balance is in our lives.
Kids may later on have problems excelling in sports or just catching up with
their peers.
- Believe it or not, the walkers may play
a role in diminishing kids’ mental abilities. As research demonstrates,
“on a standard test of mental development, no-walker babies had the
highest average score, followed by babies who used “see-feet” walkers and those
who used newer walkers” (1).
- Walkers are especially bad for babies
already developmentally delayed for different reasons. They most likely will
cause bony misalignment and balance problems.
- “An estimated 197200 infant walker-related
injuries occurred among children who were younger than 15 months and
treated in US emergency departments from 1990 through 2001” (2). These are very
scary statistics that speak for themselves.
With
all of these facts known to science, walkers still are made and sold everywhere
in the US. Interestingly, in 2004, Canada banned the production, import, sale,
advertising, trading, and gifting the walkers. Those breaking the law face
fines of up to $100,000 or 6 months in prison. The hope is that, one day, all
countries will follow Canada’s example.
 
As for now, all we can do is educate parents on the use of the good devices for our kids. The best thing parents can do for their child is allow him/her to explore the environment by cruising along furniture and walking while hands are supported by an adult. The next best thing is the use of the good baby walkers resembling adult walkers. They do not restrict the vision, do not promote disbalance, and allow for proper development.
If you ever suspect your child may have developmental delays or other problems, speak to your pediatric physical therapist immediately. We are experts in child development.
(1) October, 1999 Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics [1999;20:355-361] (2) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16510623 
Article source: Ezine Articles at ezinearticles.com
Chance To Advance, LLC is a private home pediatric physical therapy company servicing kids in Monmouth, Middlesex, and Ocean counties, NJ. We visit your child at home, on a playground, or in a daycare. Most major insurances are accepted. Please explore our site www.CTA-PT.com or email stella@cta-pt.com for more information.
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