Are Baby walkers safe for development? - Discussion and Analysis

A baby crawling across the room is a sight to behold. The tiny body on all four limbs desperate to gain ground can warm any heart, but for the parents, the joy is often laden with some anxiety. For nothing can be more threatening than a tiny tot nearing the stairs or bumping into any hard surface. As the baby completes three to four months, it becomes impossible for many parents to keep their toddlers confined to a crib or hold them on their laps for some time.

In this scenario, many parents allow their babies to crawl the empty, open spaces of their living rooms. Besides, they are often worry about the safety and hygiene of the little one; the others play it safe by making their young one sit on a baby walker.

Baby walkers have lots of advantages and disadvantages as well. They ease the pressure off the labored parents and to a great extent, safeguarded babies from bumps and bruises. Since their invention in the early fifteenth century, they have had their share of criticism lately.

While many parents consider them to be a necessary aid to help the child learn to walk safely, many seasoned parents find them unnecessary. However, most parents agree that leaving a child to crawl on the floor or any open space requires them to be extra vigilant and physically active. It is a taxing task, both physically and mentally, as it requires force to restrict the baby from leaving the ‘safe territory’ and unparalleled vigilance to ensure that the stray breadcrumb or the harmless beetle do not make it to the baby’s mouth. While it is an impossible task for working parents, most full-time parents to agree that a baby walker ensures that the baby is clean and is safe from swallowing anything and everything that incites its curiosity.

Baby walkers are designed to ensure that the baby is safe while learning to walk, that they can be taught to straighten their tiny spines and sit erect and to ensure that they safely avoid bumping into any hard object. The design, seat positioning, and hinges supporting the frame and the dashboard and the size of the wheels determine the feasibility of the baby walker for your child. Many argue that baby walkers are unsafe as they are fast-moving, and they often lead to bumps and falls. However, a toddler on a baby walker in a childproofed area is protected from any mishap.

Most parents include a baby mat to cover the childproofed area, while many prefer their carpeted spaces to be the safe zone. In these conditions, baby walkers that work on a carpet are the ideal choice. For using a walker on the carpet, will enable the baby to exercise, it’s a motor-sensory system to move, leading to muscle growth and sensory development. These baby walkers with wide wheels curb speed, and the friction of the carpet or mat with the wheels ensures that the baby does not indulge in a mad rush towards the unprotected areas. Most baby walkers that can be used on carpets and baby mats are ergonomically designed with padded seats and dashboards and can be used as stationary seating aids. They are safe and hygienic as they ensure that the baby is at a safe distance from the carpet or the ground. They really ease the pressure off from the shoulders of the parent.

Despite facing criticism from a section of researchers and influencers, no conclusive study against the use of baby walkers has been tabled so far. The increasing number of parents, who are using baby walkers to keep their toddlers safe, while taking their first steps, is a testimony in itself to lay all the doubts to rest. The novel device invented to aid babies to learn to walk safely and ease the pressure off the parents and caretakers has been a faithful aid for many centuries. With the advent of technology and mechanics, baby walkers are improving and are still the most reliable aid to help your baby take those tiny steps faster and safer early in life. It also makes their legs stronger and flexible.

Are Baby walkers safe for development? – Discussion and Analysis

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