Walkers are great aids in helping our children get around and learn to bear weight on their legs, but what you might not know is that early weight bearing and the mobility given by walkers can be physically and mentally harmful to your child's development and well being.
Walkers are adorable and may have been used by your parents, and are probably recommended by other mothers, but since walkers were introduced studies have been done time and time again all with the same results. Back in 1997 pediatricians even tried to get walkers banned, but they were too much a part of our culture to outlaw them.
Shortly after walkers were learned to be dangerous an approximate 25,000 infant injuries each year occurred ending in a visit to the E.R. were caused by walkers. In a more recent study approximately 21,000 infants each year suffer from injuries caused by using a walker. Imagine all of the injuries not reported because they were not serious enough to be seen at an E.R.
Developmental Delays:
Studies at several universities showed that walkers do not help your child's development, but in fact they hinder development. Because of the placement in the seat children often are delayed in sitting up, crawling & walking. These are all crucial developmental milestones. Cross-crawling aids in mental brain development and often children who skip one or more developmental stage later on retain infantile reflexes. Walking independently is often delayed or distorted because a walker causes the toes and lower legs to strengthen and develop, but fails to build strength in the upper thighs that are required to be able to walk.
Injuries:
Walkers are known to tip over, roll down stairs, enable an infant to reach harmful chemicals or burn themselves, and they are much more prone to pinching their fingers. In addition to these often minor injuries life long injuries can occur. Motor development mimicking spastic diplegia has been seen in many children using walkers as well as irregular muscle development and bone growth. Putting weight on a child's legs prior to readiness which can occur anywhere from 9-16 months can cause life long bone and join pains.
Another Option:
Since the discovery of the danger of walkers their presence in modern day America has decreased and a new safer toy has emerged.
The exersaucer, when used appropriately this type of stationary toy can provide entertainment safely and without developmental harm.
An exersaucer will allow your child to spin around using their arms with only their toes touching. While they spin they can find a wide range of developmentally appropriate toys to play with. You can't take it down the stairs, or walk it over to the stove, and mommy can still get work done around the home.
I hope you find this insightful and can find safe alternatives to the quickly going out of style and unsafe baby walker. I know that if my caregivers had known the dangers and the pain later in life use of a walker would cause I am sure they would have chose and alternative form of play.
You can find more information at these sites and many more:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/guide/
http://www.nytimes.com/1997/10/14/science/baby-walkers-may-slow-infants-development.html
http://www.livestrong.com/article/75875-pros-cons-baby-walkers/
Walkers are adorable and may have been used by your parents, and are probably recommended by other mothers, but since walkers were introduced studies have been done time and time again all with the same results. Back in 1997 pediatricians even tried to get walkers banned, but they were too much a part of our culture to outlaw them.
Shortly after walkers were learned to be dangerous an approximate 25,000 infant injuries each year occurred ending in a visit to the E.R. were caused by walkers. In a more recent study approximately 21,000 infants each year suffer from injuries caused by using a walker. Imagine all of the injuries not reported because they were not serious enough to be seen at an E.R.
Developmental Delays:
Studies at several universities showed that walkers do not help your child's development, but in fact they hinder development. Because of the placement in the seat children often are delayed in sitting up, crawling & walking. These are all crucial developmental milestones. Cross-crawling aids in mental brain development and often children who skip one or more developmental stage later on retain infantile reflexes. Walking independently is often delayed or distorted because a walker causes the toes and lower legs to strengthen and develop, but fails to build strength in the upper thighs that are required to be able to walk.
Injuries:
Walkers are known to tip over, roll down stairs, enable an infant to reach harmful chemicals or burn themselves, and they are much more prone to pinching their fingers. In addition to these often minor injuries life long injuries can occur. Motor development mimicking spastic diplegia has been seen in many children using walkers as well as irregular muscle development and bone growth. Putting weight on a child's legs prior to readiness which can occur anywhere from 9-16 months can cause life long bone and join pains.
Since the discovery of the danger of walkers their presence in modern day America has decreased and a new safer toy has emerged.
The exersaucer, when used appropriately this type of stationary toy can provide entertainment safely and without developmental harm.
An exersaucer will allow your child to spin around using their arms with only their toes touching. While they spin they can find a wide range of developmentally appropriate toys to play with. You can't take it down the stairs, or walk it over to the stove, and mommy can still get work done around the home.
I hope you find this insightful and can find safe alternatives to the quickly going out of style and unsafe baby walker. I know that if my caregivers had known the dangers and the pain later in life use of a walker would cause I am sure they would have chose and alternative form of play.
You can find more information at these sites and many more:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/guide/
http://www.nytimes.com/1997/10/14/science/baby-walkers-may-slow-infants-development.html
http://www.livestrong.com/article/75875-pros-cons-baby-walkers/
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