Baby walkers are devices designed to entertain and possibly exercise babies who cannot walk. However, studies show that they may delay walking and can be dangerous, causing accidents and deaths. Stationary activity centers are a safer alternative recommended by pediatricians.
A baby walker is a device designed to assist babies who cannot walk but move around in their homes. The idea behind this concept is that it will keep the child entertained for long periods of time and possibly give the child exercise. Most of these walkers are made of plastic with a wheeled base on the bottom. There is usually a cloth seat in the middle of the walker with leg holes for a baby’s legs. Most baby walkers have a tray with lots of toys attached to help keep a baby entertained.
People believed that a walker would also help teach their baby to walk. Studies indicate that this may not be true and that frequent use of a walker may even delay walking in some children. This is probably because a baby gets so used to traveling from inside the walker that it seems like an easier alternative to walking on their own. Using a walker can strengthen some babies’ lower leg muscles over time, but these muscles aren’t considered the most important in learning to walk. The muscles in the hip and upper thigh area are used more for walking, and walkers do not strengthen these muscles.
Baby walkers were used extensively for years until it was discovered that in addition to not helping babies learn to walk, they could also be very dangerous. The use of baby walkers has resulted in many accidents and deaths over the years. They tend to make it much easier for children to get into dangerous situations, like rolling downstairs. They also tend to tip over easily if the wheels get stuck on something and the child tries to free themselves. Also, the fact that babies can ride in walkers as they please often makes it harder for parents to closely monitor their whereabouts, meaning they can’t prevent accidents as easily.
Due to the safety concerns associated with using walkers, many parents opt for stationary baby activity centers instead. The main difference between a walker and a stationary activity center is that the stationary center does not have wheels. It has a seat complete with leg holes, an activity tray and toys, but there is generally no danger of a child moving from place to place and getting into dangerous situations. Most pediatricians have started advising parents to buy these instead of baby walkers because they tend to be dangerous and don’t actually help a baby learn to walk.
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