Infant walker use, injuries, and motor development.

Thein, M. M.; Lee, Joyoung; Tay, Veronica; Ling, Shichun

doi:10.1136/ip.3.1.63

Cited by 39 publications

(45 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…This advice was based on research that has found that the use of baby walkers can have a detrimental effect on motor development. 49,50 In addition, prone play is suggested in the research to promote motor development. [51][52][53] The parents were educated on how to play with their infants in supine and supported sitting positions, thus promoting symmetry and muscle balance.…”

Section: Neonatal Developmental Programmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effects of an Early Physical Therapy Intervention for Very Preterm, Very Low Birth Weight Infants: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Cameron

Maehle

Reid

2005

Pediatric Physical Therapy

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PT intervention does not significantly affect motor performance of infants born very preterm with VLBW at four months CA. Parental compliance and intervention frequency may have influenced the outcome. Preliminary evidence suggests that neonatal and early PT may reduce the incidence of motor delay among infants born very preterm with VLBW. Follow-up of this group is recommended to ascertain the long-term benefits of this type of early PT.

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Section: Neonatal Developmental Programmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effects of an Early Physical Therapy Intervention for Very Preterm, Very Low Birth Weight Infants: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Cameron

Maehle

Reid

2005

Pediatric Physical Therapy

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“…Babywalkers are known to increase the risk of injuries in infancy 5. The use of babywalkers should be discouraged.…”

Section: Commentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Locomotor milestones and babywalkers: cross sectional study

Garrett

McElroy²,

Staines³

2002

BMJ

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Few guidelines promoting good health in children are available.1 Investigations into the development of standing and walking in infants who used babywalkers (wheeled seats that allow infants to move around with their feet on the floor) obtained conflicting results. Crouchman (64 infants) and Siegel and Burton (109 infants) found that the use of babywalkers was associated with delay in crawling.2 3 In contrast, no significant differences in achieving independent walking were seen by Crouchman or by Kauffmann and Ridenour (6 sets of twins) in infants who used babywalkers compared with non-users. Siegel and Burton, however, found that babywalker users achieve independent walking at a later age than non-users.3 We compared the age at which infants who used babywalkers and those who did not reached locomotor developmental milestones. Participants, methods, and resultsWe performed a cross sectional survey of normal healthy infants born at term attending day care centres registered with the Foyle Health and Social Services Trust. A prestudy calculation identified a necessary sample size of 200. We asked parents to record the age at which their child reached the developmental milestones of raising the head when prone, rolling over, sitting with support, sitting alone, crawling, standing with support, walking with support, standing alone, and walking alone. The questions were derived from the Northern Ireland personal child healthcare record. We obtained informed consent from responding parents. The legal department of the Central Services Agency confirmed that ethical approval was not required.Nine out of the 10 day centres chosen at random from 31 centres agreed to take part. Of 250 parents whose infants attended these nine day care centres 207 (83%) responded to a brief, circulated, anonymous, confidential questionnaire. We excluded 17 premature infants leaving 190 valid responses (83 boys and 107 girls). Given a standard deviation of 30 days, we designed the study to have 90% power to detect a two week difference in the mean age at achieving the developmental milestones. We performed linear regression and t tests.One hundred and two infants used babywalkers (54%; 48 boys and 54 girls) starting at a median age of 26 (interquartile range 26-28) weeks and finishing at 54 (50-54) weeks. The median duration of use was 26 (22-29) weeks. Achieving crawling, standing alone, and walking alone occurred later in this group (table). We excluded rolling over, at a median age of 24 (21-28) weeks, as it overlapped the start of babywalker use. Babywalker use was not associated with achieving sitting with support, sitting alone, standing with support, and walking with support. We found strong associations, however, between the amount of babywalker use and the extent of developmental delay. For example, each aggregated 24 hours of babywalker use was associated with a delay of 3.3 (95% confidence interval 2.5 to 4.1) days in walking alone and a delay of 3.7 (2.9 to 4.4) days in standing alone. CommentThis study provides additional ev...

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“…I know it's not really safe, but at least they crre not llllderyollrfeet. (group C) 4 77!C/~n~(~/ /rc~o//<, butyorr hai,e to watch them. (group C) It's not the walker that's the problem, it's the parents Some parents, whether they use walkers or not, seemed to hold the view that walkerrelated accidents are due to lack of supervision such as not closing a stairgate, not a problem with the baby walker per se: You hear about the baby lhotell dowllstairs, but it was not the baby walkers tault, because they did not have the stairgate lip anyway.…”

Section: (Group A)mentioning

confidence: 98%

Baby walker safety - baby's minder or parent's problem? A qualitative analysis of clients' knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding baby walker use

Hapgood

Woods

Dyas

et al. 2003

Health Education Journal

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Objective To investigate the range of knowledge, attitudes and practices of parents regarding baby walkers. Design A qualitative study using a focus group approach. Setting Three focus groups were held in community mother and toddler drop-in centres, and one in a hospital antenatal clinic. Methods Four focus groups were held over a two-month period in 2000. Parents from areas with differing levels of deprivation (including walker users and nonusers) and antenatal parents were recruited. Data were thematically analysed. Revisiting the data for conflicting evidence tested any themes. Results Some parents believe that walkers could help a child to walk and to build up strength in the legs and that walkers must be safe if British Safety Standards have been met. Other parents want to make life a little easier for themselves and appear to be prepared to take a calculated risk with their child's safety in order to achieve this. Walkers themselves are acknowledged by most parents as being involved in accidents but the blame is attributed to lack of supervision. Most nursery equipment alternatives are seen to have safety problems in their own right, but there is some support for engaging in floor play with children. All the above themes were identified in the discussions of both affluent and deprived walker users and nonusers. Conclusions Any education aimed at reducing walker-related injuries should include an explanation of ways to facilitate motor development, raise awareness of safety standards for walkers, acknowledge the difficulties of life with an active baby and emphasise the need for passive safety measures.

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Infant walker use, injuries, and motor development.

Abstract: Objectives-To study the impact of infant walker use on motor development and miuries.

Cited by 39 publications

References 10 publications

The Effects of an Early Physical Therapy Intervention for Very Preterm, Very Low Birth Weight Infants: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

The Effects of an Early Physical Therapy Intervention for Very Preterm, Very Low Birth Weight Infants: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Locomotor milestones and babywalkers: cross sectional study

Baby walker safety - baby's minder or parent's problem? A qualitative analysis of clients' knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding baby walker use

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