All that You Wanted to Know About Baby Walkers

Baby walkers have been a topic of hot debate for quite a while now. Some of the parents vouch by it while a few others find them unnecessary. Following brief will throw more light on the use and safety tips with regard to baby walkers.

Pointers while purchasing a baby walker

Some points have to be kept in mind by parents as they make their purchase of a baby walker.

• The baby walker should be easily maneuverable by the baby; it should not be too heavy or cause friction with the floor due to bad finish. Your baby will otherwise fail to enjoy the walker.
• The walker needs to have a wide base as that will eliminate the possibility of falls and also of the baby venturing out of doorways.
• The walker should be endowed with extra safety attributes like seat belts or wheel locks thus ensuring a safe movement of the baby.
• The material that has gone into the making of the walker should be non-toxic and so do the paints that have been used.
• The walker has to be verified for any production defects or signs of poor finishing such as rough edges, poor stitching etc.

Tips for the Parents

• Some experts feel that a baby’s legs can be strengthened by use of a baby walker. However, this fact is not without some constraints. 
• It will not be correct for parents to expose small babies to a walker in their rush to get them on their feet. 
• Simultaneously, it is unnecessary for parents to obtain a baby walker if their baby is taking steps independently and with ease. 
• Another point to be kept in mind is not to leave the baby unattended while in a walker. Use of the walker is to be done as a supervised activity only; it cannot be used to obtain some ‘me time’ by the mom.

Other Opinion

Some research suggests the baby walkers to be unnecessary equipment in the life of a baby. Following are a few reasons cited in their support.

• A baby may skip some stages of his or her developmental journey like rolling or stretching or crawling if he or she is exposed to the baby walker.
• The walking pattern of the baby can be delayed as the baby tends to take support of the bones beneath the knees while moving about in a walker.
• The baby cannot view his or her legs as he or she moves with the walker and hence babies fail to understand that their legs are used in this movement. Moreover the gliding movement leads to the curling of the toes in an abnormal fashion.

On a Summarizing Note

The decision to purchase a baby walker ultimately depends on the view of the parents. It is their responsibility to assess the benefits and cons and determine how essential the baby walker is for their baby. While making the purchase it is essential to check for the quality and the make of the baby walker, do some market research and go for reputed brands alone.