Baby walkers?

Question

Do you use them? I know in Canada you aren't alowed to buy them??? I don't see anything wrong with them.. it's the parents that don't have babygates up when they have stairs in their homes!! Duh!! Here in the US you can buy them.. I noticed I got a thumbs down in an answer earlier and I guess it was because I told a lady to get her daughter a walker.....anyhow, my 15 month old daughter loved her walker and we had a staircase but we didnt let her go upstairs...She walked early and her legs were strong. My almost 4 month old is already pushing herself backwards in it now and I think it's amazing! What do you think about them?

Answer 1

My daughter had one too..she walked at 10 months...she was fine! I never even knew there was anything to worry about till a friend came over and said they were bad...she even said that the fact my daughter walked on tippy toes was the walkers fault...but loads of babies tip toe at first!

Answer 2

I got one for my then 6 months old daughter and still using it now (she's almost 10 months now). I think most importantly is you have to supervise the baby and not just leave her alone in the walker. I didn't buy the walker to get my baby to walk early, I bought it so that I could have some time doing other housework...and I never left her alone for hours ( max about 20 minutes or so). I think most parents bought the walker for this reason also. I personally think the walker does not hinder your baby's development. My daughter started to crawl when she was 7 months and now has started to walk. That's the normal development for her age, don't you think? If you are still undecided, maybe you can try Vtech My First Baby Steps (or something, I forgot, lol). Your baby will surely love it!

Answer 3

I used a walker with both of my children. My daughter loved it more then my son did. I kept them in it downstairs only. I was just a baby store where they had a pretty cool walker that made it to where babies can not fall down the stair in one. It was pretty cool. the link is below.

http://www.buybuybaby.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=14990925&RN=7131&



It also comes in black and pink. It can also convert into a push walker. It was a jumper, walker and push walker all in one.



I know there are studies that say that kids don't walk faster because of walkers but I disagree with it. I think it builds up their legs and also helps them get cordinated.



Just keep them away from stairs and the child will be fine.

Answer 4

I'm in Canada and they are illegal here. I looked around and if you bring one across the border you get charged the same as if you brought guns or drugs! I have a house with no stairs and an open floor plan. I do wish I could have one since my daughter loved to be standing and moving. I don't see why they are not allowed here, if you use them with caution I think they would be fine. Heck, anything can be dangerous if you are not watching them.

Answer 5

Evenflo Portable Fun Ultrasaucer

Answer 6

I used them for my son but it was always downstairs and there were baby gates at the top and bottom of the stairs.



I know some pediatricians say don't use them because they become a crutch for the child but I don't think they do, I think it depends on the parent and how often they use them, if the kid is in one all day long then sure there will be problems but if you just use it occasionally there should be no problems

Answer 7

I had one with my first and he was fine. The walker stayed downstairs only, never upstairs.



I didn't have one with my second and third only b/c my house was mostly carpet and they are hard for the kids to move them on carpet.



The walkers are fine as long as the parents use common sense.

Answer 8

i love walkers it gives babies the freedom to walk around before they can actually walk. they also in my opinion help with learning to walk . you just of course have to keep an eye on the baby. but i really like them.

Answer 9

My kids had them and loved them. I think they are fine as long as mom and dad are responsible and keep an eye on their baby.

Answer 10

Baby walkers send more than 14,000 children to the hospital every year, and

34 children have died since 1973 because of baby walkers.

The AAP has gone so far as to call for 'a ban on the manufacture and sale of baby walkers with wheels '



Mobile baby walkers are still popular though.



Older infants seem to enjoy them, as they often quickly get bored in stationary walkers, even the newer ones with all of the bells and whistles.



Will they help your infant learn to walk sooner?



No. It is generally believed that infant walkers don't help your kids learn to walk sooner than if they didn't use a walker. In fact, one study, Effects of baby walkers on motor and mental development in human infants, concluded that 'walker-experienced infants sat, crawled, and walked later than no-walker controls, and they scored lower on Bayley scales of mental and motor development.'



Another study, Infant walkers: developmental tool or inherent danger, found that 'the use of the infant walker did not influence the onset of independent walking.'



So while it is maybe not clear on whether or not using a mobile infant walker will delay the time that your child learns to walk, there have been no studies showing that it will help you child walk sooner than if you didn't use one.



Are infant walkers safe?

As the statistics from the AAP show, many infants are injured when they use a mobile infant walker.



Injuries include:



falls, especially down stairs

pinch injuries to fingers and toes

burns

poisonings

drowning

Most of these injuries aren't because the walker itself is dangerous, but only that it makes your child more mobile, which can cause injuries if your house isn't well childproofed. Afterall, your infant isn't going to get burned or poisoned by the walker. Instead, using a walker, he can get to and knock over a hot cup of coffee, pull something off of the stove, get too close to a fireplace or grab something poisonous out of a cabinet.



Using an Infant Walker Safely

Millions of infant walkers are sold each year, so I don't think that the AAP's call to ban mobile walkers will ever become popular enough to become a reality. So we should all likely move towards making sure that parents use walkers safely.



Most importantly, that means making sure your home is childproofed and keep the walker away from stairs, your pool and parts of your home that are not childproofed.



Many parents don't think about childproofing until their child is crawling or walking, but if you are using a non-stationary walker with wheels, then your infant is going to be mobile and you have to get things childproofed, including:



placing covers on electrical outlets and latches on drawers and cabinets

prevent poisonings by keeping household cleaners, chemicals and medicines completely out of reach

removing furniture with sharp edges or use soft guards.

removing heavy objects and breakables from low tables and shelves

not carrying hot liquids or food near your child and not allowing your child near stoves, heaters or other hot appliances (especially curling irons)

locking rooms (with a childproof lock or door knob cover) that are not childproof and the exterior doors of your house so that your child can't get out the front door or into the garage, attic, or backyard without help

See our childproofing guide for more childproofing tips.



You also want to make sure that you are using a newer model infant walker that meets new voluntary safety standards, including having a wide base so that they can't fit through most doorways and a braking mechanism so that the walker stops if one or more wheels come off of the ground, like if it was going down stairs.



And be sure to always supervise your child in a mobile walker. Remember that most infants are quite fast in these walkers and can quickly get away from you and the AAP does say that 'walkers are never safe to use, even with close adult supervision' and that many walker injuries occur while the child was being supervised by an adult.



As many experts do believe that the risks of using a mobile infant walker far outweighs the benefits, you might consider avoiding mobile walkers and just use a stationary activity center instead.



Many, like the Fischer-Price Step and Play Piano are fairly sophisticated and will likely keep your infant entertained, even if he can't move all around the room. Although it is stationary and doesn't move, your child can move back and forth along tracks built into the center.



In others, like the Evenflo Portable Fun Ultrasaucer and Little Tikes 3 Way Entertainer, your child can spin around and have access to many different toys and activities.

Answer 11

I totally against them. they make them stand on their toes and stuff and get bowed legs. they should learn to walk naturally, in the own time, with mummy and daddy their to help.