to put my 9 month old in a baby walker?

[buggerlugsandbananafeet]

I have recently started using a walker for my 9 month DD. It was bought by my mum, who says that as a baby i loved mine. So i popped DD in it and she too appears to enjoy it.
She isn't in it for hours and hours but some of the mums at playgroup have told me that walkers are really bad and can mess with development.
Is this true and if so, why the hell do they still sell them?

Many babies have used walkers and are fine

But Rhadegunde playpens are like PRISONS!!!

( I am joking, we had a playpen too )

Rhadegunde- why are they banned in other countries?

DD had a walker and walked at nine months - so it definitely didn't delay her development.
I didn't ever leave her in it for long, and only in the dining room where there was nothing to bump into or roll down! I would go in there and fold ironing and let her scoot about for twenty minutes or so. I think they are only harmful when used by parents with no common sense.
YANBU.

It's fine as long as you are watching her, don't leave her on her own in a room in it. I can't imagine a baby being happy left in one for hours either, but there you go.

We had one for DS which he loved at about that age. he was slightly slow to walk without holding our hands (14 or 15 months), but I doubt that was to do with the walker.

From WIKI - [Many parents believe that such walkers teach a child to walk faster; however, studies suggest that it is not true, and they may actually delay walking by two to three weeks.[2] These devices have also led to many injuries.[3][4][5][6] In fact, CPSC, American Academy of Pediatrics[7] and other organizations [8] have issued warnings to discourage parents from using baby walkers.
In Canada, the sale of baby walkers was banned on April 7, 2004.[9][10][11] Canada is the first country in the world to ban the sale, importation and advertisement of baby walkers. This ban extends to modified and second hand baby walkers, including those sold at a yard sale or flea markets.[9] The consumers product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) changed the items that were allowed to be sold at such sales.[12] Owners of baby walkers may be fined up to $100,000 or sentenced to up to six months in jail.[13]]]

The link between delaying walking for 2 or 3 weeks (shock horror) and fining $100,000 or a jail sentence does not add up. Does anyone know why they are considered so dangerous by Canadians?

A friend of mine used one with her little boy and he had problems with toe walking - i.e. he tried to get around on tiptoe. This delayed his walking a bit but now he is fine. My two had a playcentre that they could stand up in - like a walker except stationary - with lots of music and rattles on it. They loved it.

JAIL! Bloody hell!

But what is the danger that's considered so severe as to warrent such extreme punnishments? I don't get it.

Hope this works news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3609723.stm

serendippy I'm with you, how does 2-3 weeks delayed walking add up to 6 month behind bars?
I pop DS in his while I cook, he pootles around and I only have to worry about DD. Tbh our one has such a big 'skirt' around it that he can't reach anything when he's in it and I wouldn't use it upstairs.

All 3 of mine had a walker...not problems and no delay.

cross posts, still doesn't make sense to me. Some babies are walking at 9 months so the 'reaching things' isn't valid. As for falling downstairs/into swimming pools that's not the fault of the walker but the parents.

I know a lot people who used them and all their DC walked without any problems. I didn't have one as the Health Visitor spent ages telling me how dangerous they are! Can't really remember what terrible dangers they were meant to pose but I don't know of any DC's getting hurt or development delayed by them.

They occasionally used one at DD's nursery - they had a lovely but incredibly precocious little girl who had an unfortunate habit of biting the other tots - she was a really early walker whereas the others (like mine) were a bit more pudding like. Putting biter baby in the walker for a little while kept her happy and stopped lumps being removed from other babies.

Thanks for that valiumredhead, that does help.

We used one for DD1. She loved it and walked at 11 months, so no developmental delays there.

I can see why you would not want all triplets in a play pen, it would seem safer that way to me... if I had triplets.

But then if I had triplets I reckon I would not be able to get any housework done at all.

Hats off to you EdNurse!

Valium thanks for the link, but that noway warrents the harsh punishments and ban sorry it does not. It just highlights irresponsible use by parents, if used safely with adult supervison they are fine. Any toy such as a bike, skates, scooter can be dangerous without adult supervison no need to ban them.

A child can climb up and reach things, my dd certainly had a good go, and was given short shrift. In a house especially a small one, its hard to reach such speeds, there is no room to move so fast, unless you are lucky enough to live in a big house.

Thanks valium that does make more sense, although what idiot would leave their child upstairs unsupervised in a walker with no stairgate, or near water, is beyond me! I think it's a shame when things get banned because people can't use them properly.

I think taht they realise this here in the UK, and trust parents to supervise their children well.

If everything deemed dangerous was banned we would be living in a bubble.