Baby Walkers & Development

Baby walkers have been popular for decades as a means to keep babies entertained and to develop their walking skills. Although these toys may provide entertainment value, doctors have determined that they actually interfere with proper development and may delay walking. Baby walkers can also pose a serious safety risk. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends against the use of baby walkers.

Visual Learning

Babies need to see and understand how their legs and feet move in order to master walking. Baby walkers often have opaque plastic trays that shield the child’s view of his feet, therefore, hindering the learning process.

Mobility

Once a baby learns that she can move from one point to another quickly and easily in a walker, she is less likely to try the more tedious, but developmentally necessary, tasks of crawling and cruising.

Muscle Development

A baby walker places the baby in an unnatural seated walking position, exercising the wrong muscles in his legs. The baby relies entirely on the lower muscles for mobility, while the upper muscles remain weak. Incorrect muscle development interferes with the child's ability to walk naturally.

Safety

Although manufacturers have made great strides in developing safer baby walkers, these toys can still pose serious safety risks. Older models that lack appropriate safety measures can topple down stairs. Babies may knock into furniture and be hit by falling objects or tip the walker. According to the Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital, baby walkers are to blame for thousands of emergency room visits each year.

Alternatives

Stationary activity centers or jumpers provide a suitable and entertaining alternative for babies who enjoy playing in an upright position. Push toys may also be helpful and fun for babies who are mastering their walking skills.

References

• Dr. Greene
• BabyCenter
• WebMD
• Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital