Anneler Neden Bebekleri için Yürüteç kullanıyorlar?

Abstract

Objective: Baby Walkers (BWs) are used by many parents in the pre-walking period for various reasons. The aim of this study is to investigate the thoughts and usage practices of mothers about the baby walkers, walker-induced accidents and to determine the role of walkers in crawling and independent walking. Material and Methods: The research was conducted between February and April 2022 with 354 mothers who had infants aged 6-24 months-old and also agreed to participate. The mothers have been interviewed and so-obtained data documented on a pre-designed questionnaire. The data gathered from the baby walker users was compared with that of non-users. Data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire by face-to-face interview method. Results: 58.1% of all mothers were using baby walkers for their children. Baby Walker usage was first started at 7.3±0.98 months of age. There was no significant difference between baby walkers user and non-user groups in terms of crawling and independent walking ages (p>0.050). Among the baby walker user group, 47.5% stated that “it allowed them to do housework;” while 34.4% of the non-users stated that “it could harm their babies’ genitals”. Working mothers used baby walkers more than housewife mothers (p<0.006). 9.2% of infants have been exposed to baby walkers associated injuries. Conclusion: Although there are concerns that walkers may cause gait disturbances and walker-related accidents; it was observed that mothers used walkers for different reasons. It is important that health professionals raise awareness about the walkers in routine child health follow-ups.

Parental Beliefs and Attitudes Toward the Use of Baby Walkers in the Eastern Region of Saudi Arabia

“…Similarly, our study found that working mothers, comprising 41.2% of the participants, were not averse to using BWs, possibly due to the convenience they offer. This aligns with the findings of Çatakli et al ( 2023), who reported that working mothers used BWs significantly more than housewife mothers [7]. These results highlight the importance of considering socioeconomic factors when examining BW usage patterns.…”

The Effect of the Use of a Walker in Infancy on the Musculoskeletal System and the Level of Physical Activity

“…For this reason, the American Academy of Pediatrics has declared the necessity of prohibiting the production and sale of portable walkers (8). In our country, there is no deposit or policy for the use of baby walkers yet (9). However, in a study conducted in our country, it was reported that while the rate of use of walkers was 74.5% in 2009, it was 57.5% in 2014 (1,10).…”