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Original poster

Friend reaction to baby walker

197 replies

Charmander123 · 09/02/2018 21:51

My baby really enjoys me holding up on her legs so I was thinking of getting her a baby walker!
Quite a few of my friends have them but I mentioned it to one and she basically had a go at me saying that they are horrible for baby development and that if I bought one I'd ruin my child's legs!
I was pretty taken aback by her response but was she right , am I being unreasonable buying a baby walker or are they ok for babies? Xxxx

OP posts:
MrsAmaretto · 10/02/2018 09:34

Our physio department ran a county wide campaign educating people on why baby walkers & some baby carriers (babybjorn type) can be bad for a child's development. It's to do with the positioning of their hips, so I wouldn't buy one.

CecilyP · 10/02/2018 10:04

Crisps, you say that when most adults are close by and supervising but your link says:

^As a result, they can be scalded by pulling a boiling
kettle or hot drink down on themselves or they can
gain access to open fires, heaters and irons. This
increases their risk of being injured and requiring
treatment for serious burns.^

Surely these risks are nothing to do with walkers but risks for any mobile baby, whether in a walker, crawling , cruising or toddling. If you have an open fire you need a fixed fireguard, you should not leave flexes hanging so toddlers can pull them, you should not leave hot drinks unattended. At least you can take a baby out of a walker if you iron!

crispsandgin · 10/02/2018 10:21

Surely these risks are nothing to do with walkers but risks for any mobile baby, whether in a walker, crawling , cruising or toddling

No, because the walker makes them taller, faster, and able to access things that they wouldn't be able to without the walker.

Evenbetter · 10/02/2018 10:25

A kid who is of walking age has had their vision, cognitive abilities, bones etc all be in sync with their capabilities and are able to adjust and learn as they move, an immobile baby in a device that dangles them by their crotch, has them ‘walk’ on their toes and force their developing hips into unnatural position is surely not a great idea if given a little bit of thought?

I well I did it and my bubs turned out fine !!!!’ Isn’t really relevant though is it? We know better about a lot of things now, so we should do better. Less chance of babies dying in their sleep, suffering digestive issues for life, starting in their 30s because they were given food before they were ready, dying of preventable diseases, dying from rotten unbrushed teeth, putting developing children/babies in devices that can adversely effect their bones-no need, we know better, progress. It’s a good thing.

BertieBotts · 10/02/2018 10:35

The point is that when you have a crawling baby, you are less aware of all of those risks than you are when you have a toddling one. Do you remember the stages you go through with your first? First everything dangerous gets moved off the floor to about waist height because the baby can't get at it. Then suddenly they start pulling up but there are certain surfaces they can't reach which become "safe". And then it turns into everything being at adult head height - and as they grow you become more relaxed and things naturally get moved down again.

You can tell because when you have a ~1yo visiting when you have either only a smaller baby or older children, their whole visit is a series of lunges to grab things off them or move things out of their reach, which you know they shouldn't have but which it didn't occur to you to move, because you don't have them there full time so you have forgotten.

The baby walker gives the younger baby, who is probably at the crawling stage, sudden access to everything that was "safe" from them just a few minutes before.

CecilyP · 10/02/2018 10:45

No, because the walker makes them taller, faster, and able to access things that they wouldn't be able to without the walker.

Sorry, but the risks are the same! With a walker,they just present a little sooner than they would otherwise.

crispsandgin · 10/02/2018 10:57

They are not the same at all. Maybe read the info properly. They aren't banned for no reason, they aren't strongly advised against because the risks are just the same.

CecilyP · 10/02/2018 11:07

Crisps, you may not mean it to, but your response comes across as if you don't think unguarded open fires, dangling electrical flexes, abandoned hot drinks or irons are a danger to crawling or toddling babies.

crispsandgin · 10/02/2018 11:12

It doesn't at all. If you read it that way then I have no clue how your mind works.

All those things are dangerous. They are more dangerous with a walker. But even in the absence of all of those dangerous things, walkers are still dangerous. The walker itself is danger.

This is not difficult. Walkers= bad.

CecilyP · 10/02/2018 11:16

All those things are dangerous.

That's a relief!

crispsandgin · 10/02/2018 11:21

If you actually needed that spelling out I would worry about you being in charge of children.

happymummy12345 · 10/02/2018 11:23

They're not great for development. They can cause legs to bend. And you can always tell if a child has been in one because their legs are bent outwards instead of straight.
Personally I hate them, why force a child to walk before they are ready? Wait and let them do it on their own.

SheelaNaGiggle · 10/02/2018 11:27

If you actually needed that spelling out I would worry about you being in charge of children.

This is how these discussion always end up. People getting in a tizzy and slinging insults about people's ability to look after their own children.

RadioGaGoo · 10/02/2018 11:28

I agree completely Sheela.

kaytee87 · 10/02/2018 11:30

Push along walkers are fine but not sit in ones

NotAnotherEmma · 10/02/2018 11:31

YABU OP. Your friend was just being a good friend and trying to look out for you and your child.

A baby walker seems like a pointless waste of money too and just another way to try and push kids too fast to reach milestones to satisfy their parents needs rather than what's best for baby.

CecilyP · 10/02/2018 11:34

If you actually needed that spelling out I would worry about you being in charge of children.

Sorry, but the link you posted did imply that those dangers were specific to walkers and you seemed to back that up.

TheSmallClangerWhistlesAgain · 10/02/2018 11:46

Horrible dangerous things. They take up LOADS of room as well.

DD had a playpen which could be dismantled or folded and put in a cupboard. She was able to pull herself up to standing by hanging on to it, and when she was older, she liked playing zoos in it.

A friend of mine has a 10mo DS and he has a playpen, a big one. He gets to tootle round on the floor with his toys without getting into mischief or annoying the dogs. He also laughs like a drain when his dad shuts Mummy in it.

LoniceraJaponica · 10/02/2018 11:48

“Everything is now not ok for some pathetic reason.”

The “pathetic” reasons being more research into how safe they are and how good/bad they are for development.

“Surely we all do the best with the info we have at the time?”

This ^^
The information we now have is that they aren’t a good idea. Parents used to wean babies at an earlier age. The information we have now suggests 6 months. We become more enlightened and aware of the risks.

“I just don't understand how anyone hears all this and still says they are ok because nothing happened to their kid.”

This goes for anything – people who smoke 90 a day and live to be 100, people who never wear seatbelts and have never been in a car accident etc. This is anecdotal data not hard statistical evidence or scientific evidence.
Perhaps the following simple anaIogy is easier to understand: I always look both ways when crossing a busy road. Why wouldn’t you? People who don’t are more likely to be hit by a car.

Excellent post Evenbetter

Lana1234 · 10/02/2018 11:51

Oh god I have never heard about them being bad until reading this thread.

Currently looking at an unopened gifted baby walker for 6mo DS and don't know what to do with it now Confused

ethelfleda · 10/02/2018 11:58

Glad I read this! I was thinking of maybe getting one when DS is old enough. He's been bearing his weight on his legs for a while now but he is only 3 months old so too young for anything like that yet.

TammySwansonTwo · 10/02/2018 12:04

My smaller twin is under an OT due to low birth weight.

When he was small he always wanted to bear weight on his legs, any time I picked him up. She told me I needed to try and discourage this - his joints weren’t ready for standing, and it can be a sign of overcompensating which means the muscles he did need to develop (stomach, neck etc) wouldn’t be focussed on as needed. She told me no walkers / jumperoos under any circumstances!

She was absolutely right - I did try to discourage it but he’s still been slower to sit, crawl and walk than his brother. I wouldn’t have one of them in my house.

LoniceraJaponica · 10/02/2018 12:05

"Oh god I have never heard about them being bad until reading this thread."

I thought it was common knowledge these days that they aren't considered a god idea TBH.

callmeadoctor · 10/02/2018 12:10

Blimey this thread had got very sanctamonious!!!! (is that spelt right?) Grin

Mogginthemog · 10/02/2018 12:18

I agree that when DD was a baby
Walkers were thought to be fine. But then babies were put down on their fronts to sleep and weaning was quite common from 3 months. I did all those things and thank goodness DD was fine. Knowing what we know now though I’d not do any of those things and DGD