Are walkers bad for babies?

barker2B

Okay, did I miss something?  I hadn't heard that walkers were bad for babies but I told one of my girlfriends the other day that we'd gotten them for the babies and she flipped out telling me they were awful for their hips, taught them to walk on their tip toes, etc.  Right now their feet don't reach the floor so they just kindof sit there but they really love them. I thought I was pretty aware about these sort of things but I had no idea...is this the general concensus?

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there are some that feel they are bad... but as all things baby- in moderation is not going to do any damage.

yeah- if your kid is in a walker all day long (or in a swing, or in a bJorn carrier all day long, etc) it will not be good for them.

We used a walker for DS - he loved it!!!  He never had issues with walking on his toes, hips, etc... he took his first steps right on time and is fine. He used it maybe 15-20 minutes a day.

My niece used a walker- and began walking at 9months!! So it didn't hurt her at all!

the biggest issue is that it can never fall down stairs!

twolittlemoose

As long as you don't let the babies use them near stairs and you limit the use, I think you are fine.  Under those circumstances, they aren't harmful.  Despite the name, "walker" it really won't help your children walk any sooner as the position they are in doesn't mimic the positioning of the hips needed for walking (maybe this is where your friend thought it was bad).  It's purely for entertainment.

cands

My understanding is that they can be bad for a few reasons, but that if you are aware and protect against those issues they aren't a problem.

The biggest risk is that they fall down the stairs.  In 1992, according to CPSC 25,700 kids were treated in emergency rooms because of walker injuries, and almost all of those injuries were falling down the stairs.  The annual number of injuries dropped to 3,200 a year by 2003 after the introduction of new standards that made walkers too wide to fit through doors or had safety features that stopped the walker at the top of a step.  Check if your walker has one of those features, it's critically important. 

The next risk to be aware of is them ramming into something like a floor lamp and tipping it onto themselves.  So just look around for things they can ram it into and be aware of that risk.

The third and by far most minor issue is that kids can have hip issues if they are left in there for hours on a regular basis, so use use moderation, and only put them in the walker for 10 or 15 minutes or so.

me000

Our babies aren't born yet, so I don't have experience.  But my husband is an occupational therapist and has always said they're not good because it messes with their gait.  I'm sure it wouldn't be horrible if you didn't keep the babies in there too long, but I'd opt for one of those exersaucer things instead.  Same thing with the bouncers (not the ones they lay in, but the ones their feet touch the ground and push off the floor).

takencare

My chiropractor said that all walkers, front pack carriers, johny jump ups, and excercisers are bad for babies hips and backs. He said that if they aren't able to "cruise" yet, that they shouldn't use them. So, we avoided them.

FloF9

We purchased a walker for both twins.  We didn't keep them in there all the time.  I think the point is everything in moderation.  They both started walking before 1 year old.