Baby Walker VS Excesaucer

[babi77]

Everyone,

I heard that most pediatrician and the Amercian Pediatrician Association has strongly discouraged the use of baby walkers due to safety concern, and instead suggested excesaucer.

Do you have more info about that?

Thanks

Regards
Babi

 

[carang]

many homes in the us haveflights of stairs. i think that it is for this reason that they discourage walkers. parents leave their child unattended and then the little one goes down the stairs int he walker.

in most homes in HK this won't be a problem.
my son had both. but he used each one for about a month each. waste of $$$ as far as my son went. we kept them for the next one though, so maybe it will use them more.

 

[kashismum]

I found the exersaucer good earlier on - about 5-6 months. But, by the time bubs was crawling, she was not at all interested. Now has a walker and seems to enjoy it (can't say the same for my furniture!).
You're welcome to borrow mine - it's just taking up space. But I see you're in Macau...

 

[niutalent]

My daughter loves her exersaucer still and she is 7.5 mos.

I would not use a walker for safety reasons. At this stage, playing on those colourful mats is enough for her.

 

[pkh]

I think the recommendation against walkers is not just based on stair safety reason. I remember seeing some reports about how walkers affect the proper development of thigh and leg muscles. Both my children only used the exersaucer and they have no problem learning to walk. My daughter loved the saucer and used it until 1.5 yr, but my son abandoned it very quickly (about 9 months) and now only uses it for watching TV.

 

[carang]

walking was never an issue with my son... he walked by himself from 10.5 months....now it's a matter of me catching up with him! LOL

but now that you say that about the muscles... i do recall hearing it somewhere...but, i had one, my brother had one and so did every child on our block growing up...we all have very well developed leg muscles....

 

[aprilbaby]

I have been discouraged by family members who have children, not to use a baby walker as it can make babies legs bowed. i think if this was the case though, they wouldnt be on sale.

 

[Erin]

I'm from Canada, where walkers have actually been banned. Stair injuries are the main reason for the ban. Also, kids can reach/access way more in the walker than when they play on the floor (prior to walking). Here is a link that briefly cites other reasons for the ban. http://www.hsc.mb.ca/impact/baby_walkers.htm

With that said, I used a walker with both of my kids (9 monthre currently using one) and they both LOVED it. My son is now bored in the exersaucer, and he loves following his sister around.

I personally think that irrisponsible parents are more of a problem than then the walker itself. We always supervise our guy when he's in the walker. They can get going pretty fast (especially with a sister who wants to drive him around), so we sometimes need to manage the speed a bit. Once they are in a walker, you need to do some more baby proofing because they can reach more things and get there faster.

 

[Sleuth]

I personally think that irrisponsible parents are more of a problem than then the walker itself.

You are clearly from Canada.
Here in the US we know that parents and individuals in general can never be at fault. It has to be the manufacturer with a hidden agenda and deep pockets. The only way that parents could possibly be responsible is if they harmed someone else's child AND they had deep pockets.
Your dangerous, "responsible parents" attitude will throw all sorts of attorneys out of work, thus doing great harm to the US and world economy.
Crazy Canadian.....

 

[somebodyfamous]

What's an 'excesaucer'?