Baby Walker

Question: Are baby walkers safe to use?

(Posted by: Goose on 2009-03-13 09:26:07)

If not why? I want to buy one for my baby, why are people saying its not safe? I think its a bunch of nonsense.

Posted by: sk_munson on 2009-03-13, 09:30:22

Its safe it will help with their muscles to learn how to walk. Just not by the steps.

Posted by: R.N. on 2009-03-13, 09:30:43

Yes they are safe. As long as you keep an eye on the baby while they are in it. It helps their legs get strong.

Posted by: blondie on 2009-03-13, 09:30:55

I think people have dumb reasons for saying it is not safe. i used one with each of my kids and they both loved it. and it didnt have an effect on their walking either. if anything, it helped because my daughter began walking at 10 months and my son at just 8 months! i never had a problem with them being in a walker.

Posted by: MuM4LiFe on 2009-03-13, 09:31:02

I live in Canada and they are actually banned here and illegal to bring across the border. The Canadian Gov has banned them for two reasons.. Parents neglecting to watch there baby when they are playing in them and accidents occur like falling down the stairs or being able to reach things like tvs and such and having them fall on the infant. The 2nd reason is because it actually slows down the babies development for learning how to walk. I have an excersauer and my lil girl loves it and shes 10 months and almost walking so i would sick with something like that

Posted by: ericakamp19 on 2009-03-13, 09:32:09

Personally we did not use one. What can happen,is they can tip! if he hits the threshold or goes near a flight of stairs they can tip over and get severly injured...but go ahead, take the risk, just don 't let your baby out of your sight for a second in one of those.

Posted by: *Pinky* on 2009-03-13, 09:35:08

Some people think that baby walkers delay the walking process. In a way I believe it 's true and in a way I don 't.Studies have shown that walkers may even delay a baby 's desire to walk unassisted because he can scoot around too easily. I have a walker for my 7 month old son and he goes everywhere in it and loves it. We don 't have a set of stairs in our house so he cannot fall down the stairs period so I am not worried about that. I use one and don 't see any problem with it. Read this article consumerreports.org/ cro/ babies-kids/ baby-toddler/ play-and-activity/ walkers/ baby-walkers-1105/ overview/

Posted by: HAPPY on 2009-03-13, 09:35:11

Yes they are safe...if you have a two story house or a house with one step in it....block it off that is it...two story use it only down stairs...i used one on my daughter and she loved it....good luck

Posted by: RanaBanana on 2009-03-13, 09:36:40

The reason they '\re not safe is because there is risk of a baby making their way to a set of stairs and falling down them, or to a place where they can pull dangerous things on top of them (hot drinks, irons, pots on the stove etc). Baby gates cannot protect them because they can gain a lot of momentum in a walker and the gate will be forced out of place easily. They have no real benefit either, babies do not walk on their own earlier if given a walker. In Canada, baby walkers are illegal to advertise or sell even at a garage sale. They have a great alternative now though. A stationary activity center. It looks like a walker, but there are no wheels. The baby can be upright, play, see and turn around, but aren 't able to move around. So you can place it where it 's safe and the baby will stay there. ***My daughter had one, before the ban. I watched her closely and she never hurt herself in it but she didn 't start walking on her own until 14 months. My son preferred the jolly jumper and was walking on his own at 9 months.

Posted by: blooming chamomile on 2009-03-13, 09:38:21

It sounds like your mind is already made up? They make them safer now than they used to. They 're wider on the bottom so that they won 't fit down most stairways. They do slow the child 's development in walking. The child gets used to not having to bear weight on his/ her legs and learns to walk basically in a sitting position. Obviously, anything used in moderation...you know? They say the saucers are not harmful to development.

Posted by: ~*~Braden's Mommy~*~ on 2009-03-13, 09:38:49

Baby walkers now have a bad reputation because people use them wrong. A baby walker itself is not a dangerous contraption, but put in the hands of an unattentive parent, it can be. Baby walkers are safe as long as you make sure the child cannot get near any stairs, and that your home is baby proofed. Be sure that any rooms that have potentially dangerous things in them are either closed off with a baby gate, or have the door shut with a child proof door knob cover. Just watch your baby when he is in the walker and he will be fine. Just like any other baby toy, they require supervision. If you want one for your child, get one. We had one but ended up selling in on craigslist cuz our apartment is too small for my son to really go anywhere. He 's better off in his exersaucer.

Posted by: dmg on 2009-03-13, 09:39:07

I guess I just don 't see the point of making my 9 month old, who is currently not that mobile, mobile. My issue with walkers is that they also give the baby a lot MORE mobility than they would have crawling or walking. It feels like giving the 12 year old the keys to the car. He has one of those stationary jumper things that he can rotate in and bounce up and down in vigorously. It has a lot of exciting toys on the edges. So I don 't need to give him wheels and let him try and pull the TV down. But that 's just me, I don 't think they are inherently dangerous if the baby is watched. Edited: I also fear for the poor cat 's tail.