when to give baby sit walker? Whick kind of walker more suitable & safe?

[Working mummySG]

Hi Mummies, my girl is 7mths old, ready for walker? which kind more suit her?

[mypiggee]

actually whats the reason for not using a walker?
I am thinking of buying too...
its just that his foot still cant touch the floor when sitting in the walker, tats y I didnt buy yet

[Mrs ET]

My mum says if kids use walker, then they won't learn how to crawl which is not good for their developement.. dear husband dont allow dear daughter to use walker as well, due to safety reasons.

[Working mummySG]

it doesnt give them the needed "strength" or smth, nor teach them the proper way how to walk . cos the thing is supporting them instead, not their legs supporting their body weight. probably means weaker legs? (:

hi all,

We bought a walker for our 7mth old gal, she is loving it bt she dont sit in there for too long. We put her in for entertainment esp after her bath, after her afternoon nap & during meal time....so... at the moment no sign that she dont wanna crawl, so i think is ok to have kids to sit in walker to entertain themselves & to let them have the opportunity to stimulate their right brain(i think is right brain... ...keke!!) to play with their hands/legs... ...

I have friends put their kid in walker when they are just 4mths old and they stuff pillow in between.

[Jane_Mummy]

hi all,

We bought a walker for our 7mth old gal, she is loving it bt she dont sit in there for too long. We put her in for entertainment esp after her bath, after her afternoon nap & during meal time....so... at the moment no sign that she dont wanna crawl, so i think is ok to have kids to sit in walker to entertain themselves & to let them have the opportunity to stimulate their right brain(i think is right brain... ...keke!!) to play with their hands/legs... ...

I have friends put their kid in walker when they are just 4mths old and they stuff pillow in between.

ya i let my son sit in walker when he is 4 month plus and stuff pillow .

[lis]

In fact rite..doctors advised not to put your kids in the walker..they said that it'll actually slower down the chances of your kids walking faster..n also they will walk tip toe if you put them in walker..so i didn't put son in the walker..n now he's 10 mths old,he can olready start to walk a little bit..very fast rite..?? hehe..coz son,wen he's onie 6 mths old..he's olredi learning to stand w/o holding aniting..so i advise that you dont put your kids in the walker..let them crawl around the house freely..in no tym,you will c them trying to stand n walk..

[maMaSan]

I agree with everyone who said dont't put in those movable walker. BUT I did borrow from a good friend those stationary type that can spin round with lots of fixed toys to play with from all angles.

It stays put in one place so mum doesn't need to worry about baby getting into trouble, but baby is well entertained for a while

It was worth it for that phase since I could get things like dinner/housework done for a couple mins' worth of peace

[Ting]

i put in pin in a walker when she is able to sit up right.
well, the walker i had has this "mat" attached below. it is for babies who havent learnt to walk.
so they stay stationary n just bounce in the walker.
then when she is learning to walk, i just remove it n she runs around freely.
she has no problem crawling n her development is pretty fast.
cos she practically runs now.
lols.
n she learnt to walk by herself about 12 mths old.

[Gelyn]

Ting, I did the same way too. Yes, mine also start to walk around without walker by 12 mths. :-)

[pureline]

well, i let my baby sit on the walker when she is 5 months old... so far so good.

she love to play on the walker.....

i believe walker should be fine for baby just dont let yr baby sit there for too long...

[wave1909]

i brought a walker but in the end sell and buy an exersaucer. i were told by my friend.. not to buy walker.. as baby walk in walker and use their brain less and many disadvantages...
i read an article :
WALKERS

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends against using walkers,
but primarily because over 8,000 babies are injured in them each year.
(See "Injuries Associated with Infant Walkers," American Academy of
Pediatrics: Injuries Associated With Infant Walkers -- Committee on Injury and Poison Prevention 108 (3): 790 -- Pediatrics
and "Baby Walkers:" http://www.aap.org/pubed/ZZZZDGTUP5D.htm )

These articles primarily stress the safety concerns of baby walkers,
but the Academy also says "walkers do not help children walk sooner.
Walkers can delay normal muscle control and mental development."
("Baby Walkers:" http://www.aap.org/pubed/ZZZZDGTUP5D.htm )

Some doctors think that even short amounts of time in a walker might
be harmful. "Because the babies can get around too easily, their urge
to move across the floor is satisfied, and many of them will not
undertake the important task of crawling, creeping, scooting, or
hitching. This stage is important for developing strength and
coordination." ("Baby Walkers," Dr. Greene:
Baby Walkers - DrGreene.com )

State University of New York at Buffalo and Case Western Reserve
University studied 109 infants; "about half had never used a walker,
about a third used newer-style walkers with large trays that blocked
the infants' view of their feet, and the remainder used older-style
walkers that allowed them to see their moving feet and grab at objects
around them." It's important to note that all the infants scored
within "established norms," but those using the new-style walkers "sat
upright, crawled, and walked later than infants who had never used a
walker." Infants using older-style walkers learned to sit and walk at
about the same age as the infants who did not use a walker, "but they
learned to crawl at about the same age as the children who used the
newer-style walkers." (Newer style walkers have large trays,
preventing children from seeing their feet move, and making it
difficult for them to grasp objects around them.) ("Baby Walkers May
Impede Child Development," Center for the Advancement of Health:
http://www.cfah.org/hbns/newsrelease...rs10-12-99.cfm )

Other doctors see no harm in walkers, as long as they're only used for
short periods of time. "A few minutes spent and a few steps safely
taken in a walker each day won't harm baby, but too much time in his
first little car is neither safe nor healthy.," advises Dr. Sears.
("Walkers," Ask Dr. Sears:
WALKERS ) But even his more
moderate view ends by saying "We discourage the use of walkers or any
device that encourages baby to rely on outside assistance for
locomotion rather than on his own creativity or initiative."


EXERSAUCERS

"An exersaucer can be a nice alternative" to a walker, says Dr. Greene
("Baby Walkers," Dr. Greene: Baby Walkers - DrGreene.com )
Exersaucers allow children to spin, rock, bounce, and sit upright, and
are considered safe. Dr. Sears says "Parents often ask if these are
safe for the child?s hips or back ? dont?t worry, these toys are fine."
(FAQS, Ask Dr. Sears: "IS THE EXER-SAUCER SAFE?" )

Generally, doctors think exersaucers are just fine for babys, but
there are exceptions. Dr. Suzanne Dixon says, "Exersaucers...hold a
child's hip extended, just as walkers do, which is not good if a baby
spends a lot of time in them...Also, these devices, like walkers,
prevent a child from seeing his feet. New data on walkers suggests
that this lack of visual feedback hinders kids' learning from their
own movements. However, Exersaucers and Supersaucers are better than
walkers in that a child is more centered over his feet and less on his
toes. He also has to work on balance a bit more...For infants with
motor problems and atypical development, we sometimes use these
devices as one part of a program to get a baby upright and to increase
his muscle tone and strength in the trunk. If you need a safe spot to
place your baby while cooking dinner or doing the laundry, these are
handy. But putting any typically developing infant in these for long
periods of time is likely to slow things up." ("Are Exersaucers and
Supersaucers harmful for my baby's development? Pampers:
cache:amljDGlWrqoJ:us.pampers.com/en_US/learning/page/tpc_question_details/topicId/201/type/104/contentId/7864.do;jsessionid=GDETEVU0PKMS3QFIAJ0X0NA baby exersaucers development - Google Search
)

JUMPERS

According to the Children's Hospital of San Diego, "Baby
jumpers...promote movement patterns that are not useful in normal
development including tiptoe standing and fast uncontrolled movements.
The exercise your baby gets does not promote the development of trunk
and leg control or the balance needed for walking. Additionally, it
may limit time your baby spends on his tummy developing the valuable
skills for crawling." ("Frequently Asked Questions," Children's
Hospital of San Diego: Frequently Asked Questions; Childrens Hospital San Diego, SD )

On the other hand, after an exhaustive search, I've found that other
reliable sources (including The American Academy of Pediatrics
website) remain silent on the subject of jumpers. One can assume,
then, that they dont't consider jumpers harmful--as long as they are
used in moderation.

(As an aside, I can tell you that my infant's physical therapist says
that jumpers are fine as long as they aren't used for longer than 20
minutes a day and the child shows no signs of toe-walking.)

Kind regards,
Kriswrite

RESEARCH STRATEGY:
Infant jumper* development
jumper* development
baby jumper* development
jolly jumper* development
baby jumper* development
baby exersaucers development
baby exersaucers
baby walkers
webpage: Google Answers: Developmental Impact of Walkers, Exersaucers, and Jumpers on Babies / Infants