I've always read in many books and pamphlets that walkers are a HUGE no-no. They say that they are very unsafe because babies could fall or injure themselves while inthem. I've also read that they are bad for their legs. why do people still get them then? Aren't those guidelines there for a reason? I would beitnersted to hear what people's opinions are.
Activity centres (similar to walker but stays still - I didn't know the name for it!) - are these okay? I figured they were seeing they can't move in them. Also if the babies were only in them for short time then it wouldn't damage their legs. Anyway just interested to see what people think.
Cot bumpers - these are also considered highly dangerous yet they are still sold in shops and people use them - why?
Cynic hat on - they're still sold because they aren't illegal, and people buy them. People buy them because they don't know the dangers or they believe they wouldn't be sold if they were really dangerous.
Personally, I think common sense is a wonderful thing so I tend to go with that.
My MCHN tried telling me that DD needed 20 mins of tummy time every day otherwise she would be behind developmentally because her rolling would be delayed. DD hated tummy time so I didn't push it. She was one of the earliest rollers in my Mothers Group.
There's also a difference of opinion on sterilising bottles. My doctor told me that sterilising is not really necessary but they recommend you do it to cover off the people who think that a quick rinse of the bottle is going to do the job.
Anyhow, to get to your point. I think perhaps experts/professionals say walkers should not be used to cover off the people who would otherwise put their baby in a walker for hours on end. I have one and it's been a god send. I can do a few chores around the house and DD has great fun following me. Since she's been using it, she's also seemed to work out that she can get from A to B and will crawl down the hallway whereas before she tended just to stay in one room. Having said that obviously I only let her into the walker for short spells - 20 mins at a time max. I'm not immune to the recommendations from experts but I think moderation is the key!
The answer really is that there is money to be paid. And it's not just unsafe toy items - I am appalled by the food options out there for babies, toddlers and kids, that are marketed as healthy and just aren't. Juice should not be part of a child's diet yet there are baby juices on supermarket shelves. Baby or children yoghurts and cheeses and goodness knows what elses are marketed as healthier, but are usually higher in sugar etc. And I could go on.... but I'll step off my soap box now!!
I honestly dont know how a child under normal circumstances could fall out of a walker...we are talking about those big plastic things with 4 wide wheels on them that they cruise around in arent we?
How can that fall over unless it is going down the stairs or similar?
When we went to buy a JJ KMart said they dont sell them anymore for Health adn Safety reasons because one child had apparently injured them selves in it by the spring falling on their head. there is NO WAY that if it is installed and used correctly that that could happen. Target sells them though (and I found out later that they are actually owned by teh same company anyhow)
I think I agree with Fiona...common sense is the key. If you have older children, teach them not to push the younger one into the wall! lol I can see how the walkers and the JJ for that matter can affect their rolling ankles etc when walking, so moderation is the key. Charlotte LOVES her JJ and isnt having any trouble when she is on her feet without it.
WRT cot bumpers I think that all came about with SIDS etc and the air circulation in the cot...and the ties etc being strangulation ahzards. Again, COMMON SENSE!! lol Cot bumpers also stop(help stop) them from getting their feet/arms/legs caught in between teh bars of the cot if they roll around in their sleep. I personally would rather them there than have charlotte get stuck and twist her leg or something (and she always gets her feet out of the cot lol)
Just do what you think is best, and if you can see detrimental effects then curb the useage
MR For the record, baby juice is stoopid! Have you seen the ad for Berri Kids Juice? They have put 50% juice and 50% water in a bottle and are selling it as healthy for kids because it has 1/2 the sugar of normal juice!!
i thought the thing with the walkers was due to parents not watching their children and the babies actually going down steps etc, the newer models are wider at the base as well to stop bubs getting into little spots, i do remember hearing of babies going of the edges of porches and down steps in the walkers and thought this is why they class them as dangerous.
as for cot bumpers i used these when my bubs got much older and were able to lift their heads so if they got up against them they could move away as i think it is a suffocation issue.
As I understand it, there are two issues with walkers. One is that there have been many incidences of kids falling down stairs etc. In fact Choice did a study a while ago on the top ten most dangerous products for kids and both walkers and JJs were right up the top of the list. Interestingly enough toy boxes were also on the list(fingers caught in the lid I think was the main injury).
But the other thing with walkers is that they are putting kids in a position they are not ready to be in (ie standing with feet on the floor). I have read in a few places that this can cause issues down the track with the child, although I can't actually remember the exact problem. I'll have another read and post an update if I remember.
I was told by my MCHN that it's not the babies hurting themselves as much as the risk of them ending up with hip and leg problems from being left in them too long. I chose not to use them as I didn't think they were nescessary.
Another thing with the walkers is that back in the day (that you lovely spring chickens probably wouldn't remember ) is that walkers were dodgy back then - the wheel base was prone to making them unstable and they were more likely to tip them over. The ones available these days are much wider - I have seen some that wouldn't even fit through a door way. I never got one as I thought they were a giant waste of money.
Jolly jumpers I don't like either because I just don't trust that the hook will stay secure in the door jamb.
Toyboxes need to have a hydraulic safety strut on them so the lid doesn't just slam down on little fingers and closes slowly. Stupid thing is you pay upwards of $200 for a 'toybox' but you can buy a 'blanket box' for half the money without a strut - once they call it a toybox they have to have the strut and therefore it is dearer.
Jordie,
I'm so hearing you... when I was pregnant I spent a small fortune on a cot set that came with bumpers, a doona and a pillow only to find I could not use any of them!!!
The walkers that don't walk- on Ebay they're called 'Exer-saucers'- are not recommended for the same leg problems as walkers.
No walker here but we have a jolly jumper. DS doesn't go in it for more than 20 minutes a day. I think common sense and moderation are the keys here- any equipment is going to cause damage if they spend all day in it!!
I think they go overboard for the same reason someone else mentioned- some people just don't think, so the powers that be spread the guilt and confusion to all of us to get the message through *sigh*
Interesting Thread.
If we followed the "ideal" then babies would be on their tummies for the whole day, expertly crawling by the time they are 4 months old, walking by 6, and all elite athletes with 150 point IQs by the time they are 10 years old. Not to mention fully breastfed, never have consumed junk food, watched TV, naturally birthed with no drugs, and even naturally conceived!
That is alot to ask of the everyday mum who is just trying to do what is best for HER child and family.
Agree, moderation. If it gives you 5 minutes of time to clean up the house and make it a safer and cleaner place for the whole family, then that is time well spent. Also someone mentioned somewhere that there are benefits, eg a different perspective of the world, different muscle usage, coordination and balance. But ALL in moderation, and as parents we have the choice for OUR child, that is the blessing of having our own children.
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Walkers and other "unsafe" baby things
Have you seen the ad for Berri Kids Juice? They have put 50% juice and 50% water in a bottle and are selling it as healthy for kids because it has 1/2 the sugar of normal juice!!
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