Baby Walkers
Baby walkers have been in the United States for over 150 years. The first patent for a baby walker in the United States was issued in 1851. While many parents love to use walkers for the convenience and entertainment for their little ones, the device has faced controversy over the years.
Baby walkers consist of a plastic frame on wheels. In the center of the frame, fabric is draped with holes in it for the baby to sit in. Babies can either sit and play with toys on a tray, or they can extend their legs and scoot around at will.
Parents love baby walkers because they believe that it is safe entertainment for their baby. After all, the baby is contained and cannot reach out very far or to the floor. Additionally, it is commonly believed that a baby walker has developmental benefits.
Baby walkers are made for babies between the ages of 4-16 months, but should not be used for babies that are already able to walk. Some believe that walkers will help infants learn to walk quicker as well as give them great exercise for the legs.
There is controversy over safety and developmental issues with this very popular toy. There are a study out which say that not only does the walker not help babies learn to walk faster, that it may in fact hinder these skills. Additionally, thousands of babies suffer injuries every year from spilling over or walking off an unsafe ledge such as stairs, decks etc.
As a matter of fact, in 2004 Canada actually banned baby walkers from the country altogether. No one is allowed to buy, sell, or advertise these devices.
As always, parental discretion is advised. In my opinion, it is silly to blame the baby walker if your child falls down the stairs in it. The parents of course are to blame. Additionally, it is important to make sure that you are doing what you can to allow your baby to learn the skills and exercise the muscles needed to walk, relying on one device is absurd.
A lot of baby walkers have a wide variety of toys as well as trays on top. Your baby can eat cheerios, spin toys, and press buttons all while following around mommy doing her chores. As long as you keep an eye on your baby, walkers can actually free your hands for a few minutes at a time. Just as you would not let your baby crawl around the house unsupervised, just do not let the baby loose in the walker and you should be good to go!
Leave a Reply