A network to share best practices for children with special needs
Beware of Baby Walkers!
As you can tell by previous blogs, we're on a roll this week about walking and whether earlier is better. As an OT I'm often asked by parents if they should use a baby walker for their child. There's a great article from the NYTimes featuring pediatrician Dr. Alan Greene that I believe answers this question once and for all. In the article Dr. Greene refers to studies that show using a baby walker can delay both motor and cognitive development, as well as increases the risk of injury due to falls and/or entrapment issues, such as a child's finger getting caught in the frame hardware. If you need to keep your child contained in an area for safety reasons, you can substitute a portable playpen such as the Pack 'n Play options that are commercially available. What are your suggestions to keep the baby walker in the closet where it belongs? Let us know!
Comment
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Comment by Cecilia Cruse on November 9, 2011 at 1:01pm -
Yes these are similiar. As therapists, we try to tell parents to keep these to a minimum. Certainly all children respond differently and glad to know that your daughter's motor skills are within normal limits.
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Comment by Jen Stickney on November 3, 2011 at 9:51am -
So exersaucers and the Johny Jump Up would likely fall under the same category?
I may have another and my daughter LOVED those things. She didn't walk until 13 or 15 months. I didn't feel like her motor skills or coordination were delayed or rushed.
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Comment by Cecilia Cruse on September 30, 2011 at 11:35am
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Agreed!
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Comment by Martianne Stanger on September 30, 2011 at 9:24am
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I say, don't keep it in the closet, clear it out of the house completely! Baby gates and pack-n-plays if necessary work fine to keep little ones corralled, but, in truth, they should be afforded the opportunity to roam.
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