Baby Walkers Review

Baby Walkers Questions

This article falls a little outside of the normal format.  As the blog author I asked around to see what questions or misconceptions people may have about baby walkers.

Question: I hear that baby walkers are bad and they should not be used, I have had three children and the youngest still uses one.  I feel guilty when I hear stories, so I am wondering am I in the minority of people still using them?

Answer: You may be surprised to know that you are neither in the minority or majority, it is estimated that 50% of all children ages 6 to 16 months use a baby walker.

Question: I hear of injuries to babies using walkers, but I believe most are very minor.  I have never known anyone that has either been injured nor had a child injured using one.

Answer: The answer may be somewhere in between.  Many minor injuries do happen, but there are still a lot that happen that are much more serious.  Nearly 25% of all injuries sustained by a baby walker are to the head and that includes fractures. The two most common ways baby injuries happen are from falling down stairs and having scalding liquids spilt on them.  In those two cases the injuries are usually severe.

Question: Isn’t all the fuss about baby walkers really around the older models and not the newer ones?  I hear the newer ones are safe.

Answer: Actually, they are safer.  However, that does not mean they are safe or the best alternative for your child.  The walkers still have wheels, the children are still mobile and although they have cut down on the amount of injuries some such as falling down stairs and hot liquid spills still occur.

Question: Don’t baby walked increase the baby’s ability to walk earlier by strengthening the legs, teaching balance and getting a feel for walking.

Answer: That is a common belief, but in actuality it slows the baby’s development and doesn’t teach balance.  The baby is supported and often leaning at an odd angle, balance isn’t learned because it is difficult for the child to fall on their own.  A baby actually learns to walk on the toes which actually slow the progress of walking once the support of the walker is no longer used.

Baby walkers are not the only thing to consider when your child’s safety is concerned.  Car seats are also important and should be something of great concern for parents, surprisingly there are some great Cheap Car Seat alternatives out there and it’s important to look into them. Just remember, expensive doesn’t always mean better!