Baby Walkers
Forty-three mother-infant dyads were recruited
to determine the relationship between both total equipment
use and the use of individual pieces of equipment and infant
motor development. At 8 months of age, total and individual
equipment use was determined by parental survey and infant
motor development was assessed using the Alberta Infant Motor
Scale. Statistically significant correlations were found
for the relationships between total equipment use and infant
motor development. The findings suggested that infants who
have high equipment use tend to score lower on infant motor
development or that infants who have low equipment use tend
to score higher on infant motor development.
http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/324/7352/1494?view=full&pmid=12077035
Babywalkers: They delay development, cause
injuries, and we should consider banning them
Previous reports
have suggested that development is affected adversely by babywalkers. Along
with that in the BMJ, these were observational or questionnaire based
studies and not randomised control trials. Some inconsistencies
exist regarding which milestones were affected, probably
reflecting comparatively low numbers of children in the studies,
but overall evidence shows significant developmental delays
associated with babywalkers. Anecdotal reports note adverse
effects from the use of babywalkers in a child with cerebral
palsy and even the development of cerebral palsy-like symptoms
in apparently normal children. No published data are available
that imply that development may have benefited, although
this is a common reason why parents choose to use babywalkers.
Brent
Taylor BMJ
2002 (Sep 21); 325 (7365 ): 612
Injury caused by baby walkers: the
predicted outcomes of mandatory regulations
A look at banning baby walker injuries showed:
About half (46%; 95% CI, 32.5%-59.8%) of the serious baby-walker
injuries (ie, requiring admission to hospital) are caused
by the walker enabling babies to reach hazards other than
steps and stairs. The New South Wales regulation has the
potential to eliminate only about half the baby-walker injuries.
Banning baby walkers altogether is preferable
Thompson PG. Injury
caused by baby walkers: the predicted outcomes of mandatory
regulations Med J Aust 2002 (Aug
5); 177 (3): 147-148
Baby Walkers: Cause of Developmental
Delay and Injuries
This study provides additional evidence
that babywalkers are associated with delay in achieving normal
locomotor milestones.Additionally, babywalkers are known
to increase the risk of injuries in infancy. The authors
of this BMJ article recommend discouraging the use of infant
walkers.
M Garrett, A M McElroy, A Staines Locomotor
milestones and babywalkers: cross sectional study BMJ
2002 (Jun 22); 324 (7352): 1494
Injuries associated with infant walkers
In 1999, an estimated 8800 children younger
than 15 months were treated in hospital emergency departments
in the United States for injuries associated with infant
walkers. Thirty-four infant walker-related deaths were reported
from 1973 through 1998. The vast majority of injuries occur
from falls down stairs, and head injuries are common. Walkers
do not help a child learn to walk; indeed, they can delay
normal motor and mental development.
The use of warning labels,
public education, adult supervision during walker use, and
stair gates have all been demonstrated to be insufficient strategies
to prevent injuries associated with infant walkers. To comply
with the revised voluntary standard (ASTM F977-96), walkers
manufactured after June 30, 1997, must be wider than a 36-in
doorway or must have a braking mechanism designed to stop the
walker if 1 or more wheels drop off the riding surface, such
as at the top of a stairway. Because data indicate a considerable
risk of major and minor injury and even death from the use
of infant walkers, and because there is no clear benefit
from their use, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends
a ban on the manufacture and sale of mobile infant walkers.
If
a parent insists on using a mobile infant walker, it is vital
that they choose a walker that meets the performance standards
of ASTM F977-96 to prevent falls down stairs. Stationary activity
centers should be promoted as a safer alternative to mobile
infant walkers.
Injuries
associated with infant walkers Written
by the American Academy of Pediatrics "Committee on Injury
and Poison Prevention" Published in: Pediatrics
2001 (Sep); 108 (3): 790-792
Locomotor milestones and babywalkers:
cross sectional study
Few guidelines promoting good health in
children are available. Investigations into the development
of standing and walking in infants who used babywalkers (wheeled
seats that allow infants to move around with their feet on
the floor) obtained conflicting results. Crouchman (64 infants)
and Siegel and Burton (109 infants) found that the use of
babywalkers was associated with delay in crawling
This study
provides additional evidence that babywalkers are associated
with delay in achieving normal locomotor milestones. Babywalkers
are known to increase the risk of injuries in infancy. The
use of babywalkers should be discouraged.
M Garrett, A M McElroy,
A Staines Locomotor
milestones and babywalkers: cross sectional study BMJ
2002 (Jun 22); 324 (7352): 1494
Infant walker use, injuries, and motor
development
12.5% of walker users had one or more injuries
and walker use may also delay the child's motor development.
These findings will help the practitioner in primary care
settings to advise parents about the potential hazards of
walker use.
M. M. Thein, J. Lee, V. Tay and S. L. Ling Infant
walker use, injuries and motor development Injury
Prevention 1997: 3 (1): 63-66
Effects of baby walkers on motor and
mental development in human infants
Because baby walkers enable precocious locomotion
in very young, otherwise prelocomotor infants, walker experience
might be conceptualized in terms of early enrichment. However,
walker devices prevent visual access to the moving limbs
by design. Therefore, prelocomotor walker experience may
be conceptualized in terms of early deprivation, reminiscent
of that created in a classic series of animal experiments
on the critical role of visual feedback in developing motor
systems. This study analyzed motor and mental development
in 109 human infants, with and without walker experience,
between the ages of 6 and 15 months. Walker-experienced infants
sat, crawled, and walked later than no-walker controls, and
they scored lower on Bayley scales of mental and motor development.
Significant effects of walker type, frequency, and timing
of walker exposure were observed. Considering the injury
data along with the developmental data, the authors conclude
that the risks of walker use outweigh the benefits.
Siegel AC,
Burton RV Effects
of babywalkers on early locomotor development in human
infants J Dev Behav Pediatr 1999
(Oct); 20 (5): 355-361
The effects of babywalkers on early
locomotor development
The mothers of 66 infants were interviewed
to obtain information on their children's motor development.
The children were divided into three groups according to
the length of time they spent in a babywalker. There was
no difference between the groups in age at onset of sitting
or walking, but children in the high-user group showed a
significant delay in onset of prone locomotion compared with
the low-user and non-user groups. This suggests that for
some infants the excessive use of babywalkers alters the
pathway of normal locomotor development.
Crouchman M. The
effects of babywalkers on early locomotor development Dev
Med Child Neurol 1986 (Dec); 28 (6): 757-761
Influence of infant-walkers on motor
development: Mimicking spastic diplegia?
As illustrated by the literature, infant
walkers do not have any positive effect on improving motor
development. Vulnerability of infants with regards to accidents
is increased. In our opinion, the use of infant-walkers should
be discouraged.
Engelbert RH, van Empelen R, Scheurer ND, Helders
PJ, van Nieuwenhuizen O Influence
of infant-walkers on motor development: mimicking spastic
diplegia? Eur J Paediatr Neurol 1999; 3
(6): 273-275
Research Supports Chiropractor Views
on Baby Walkers
Late-breaking research supports many chiropractors'
long-held belief that baby walkers hinder infants' physical
and intellectual growth, according to paper released in the
Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics.
The study
looked at 109 infants from the Buffalo, New York area. Half
of the subjects had used a walker, and half never used a walker.
The infants were first tested at 6, 9, or 12 months of age,
and again three months later, using a standard measure of physical
and mental development. The study found that children who used
walkers were slower than other infants to sit upright, crawl
and walk. They also scored lower on early tests of mental and
physical development, compared with other infants. Children
who use new-style walkers with large trays were at the highest
risk, according to the report. The new walkers obstruct infants'
view of their feet and prevent children from grabbing at
and investigating objects, interfering with the development
of motor skills, say researchers.
Siegel AC, Burton RV Effects
of baby walkers on motor and mental development in human
infants J Dev Behav Pediatr 1999
(Oct); 20 (5): 355-361