2 Ways Baby Walkers Could Harm Your Baby
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Baby walkers may have been a very popular choice of parents in the past and an ideal way to help babies learn to walk, but today there is much discussion on whether or not they are actually beneficial or dangerous to babies.
Baby walkers are essentially a device used to help infants move from one place to another as they learn to walk. They come with a wheeled base, which makes movement easier for babies as they don’t yet have the ability to walk on their own. Most walkers come with a plastic tray with toys attached to it and a seat with openings to put the baby’s legs through. Today, they come in a variety and with fancy attachments to it to keep the baby entertained.
In recent years, however, there has been a strong debate on their usefulness. More and more researches (1)(2) suggest that baby walkers may, in fact, be more harmful than useful to babies. Some countries have even gone to the extent of banning them.
This brings us to the question: are baby walkers dangerous? Here are two important things to know before you decide to invest in one.
1. Walkers can cause a serious risk of injury
As baby walkers help an infant move around rather quickly due to its wheeled base, there is a higher risk of injury to the baby that can be quiet hazardous. The baby’s movement would be so quick that the parents and caregivers may not be able to reach them in time to stop them from hurting themselves.
Some of the risks frequently faced are:
- Risk of falling down the stairs or on a hard surface due to change in level which may be detrimental to the baby.
- As walkers give babies an elevation as opposed to when they’re crawling and so are at floor level, this extended reach may put them in close contact with stoves, hot vessels or drinks, and flames which may cause burn injuries.
- Babies may also get in close contact with poisonous materials or cleaning products and medications, which may otherwise be out of their reach.
- Walkers can make it easier for babies to reach out and pull things down.
- Choking on any of the numerous toy attachments that come inbuilt with baby walkers.
2. Walkers may result in delayed motor development in babies
Many have believed that baby walkers teach and aid infants in developing their walking skills. However, recent evidence suggests that they may actually be hampering a baby’s natural ability to crawl, stand and walk on their own, thereby, causing delayed motor development.
A natural process of learning to walk includes babies learning to roll, sit, crawl, scoot and stretch. These pre-walking skills help a baby strengthen their muscles and learn to balance and coordinate, which are important for them to walk and also assist in their physical development. Walkers limit the use of these skills as babies don’t get to practice them when using a walker.
Walkers not only reduce floor time but also delay these necessary and significant developments which are vital for a baby’s growth and not just their ability to walk.
When babies attempt to naturally move and walk, they tend to practice these pre-walking movements a lot more. Baby walkers restrict these actions and may cause unnatural movements or hinder and delay a baby’s ability to balance, coordinate and walk on their own.
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