Health, Wealth and Happiness

Here is a fantastic post that appeared today in the Aloha Parent.Com newsletter.  Dr. Cynthia is a friend and associate.  Enjoy, parents…

Baby Walkers Delay Infants’ Motor Development

by Dr. Cynthia Chareunsouk – Chiropratic Kinesiologist 

Many parents believe that baby walkers are a convenient form of baby “exercise” and entertainment.  However, statistics show that they actually cause heartache and grief each year; along with impairment of natural childhood development.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended a ban on the manufacturing and distributing of baby walkers as they have deemed it unsafe for babies.  In 1997, manufacturers created a new generation of baby walkers which were designed to be “safer” and more effective, but over 14,000 babies each year are still sent to the hospital due to baby walker accidents and injuries. Over 34 babies have passed away from 1973-1998 due to baby walker related accidents and injuries.

Each year, the statistics for baby walkers increase. Approximately 40% of infants in walkers suffer from skull fractures, neck injuries, lacerations, knocked out teeth, and/or burns. These injuries usually occur from the walkers tumbling down stairs or from tipping over with adult supervision. The walkers can move up to three feet in one second, disabling parents to react in time to prevent injury or death. Infants in baby walkers can tip over while rolling over rugs or even while attempting to pick up toys on the ground. Often times, a baby’s finger can get stuck between a walker and piece of furniture; or worse yet – stuck in a collapsible walker.

Baby walkers also interfere with postural, biomechanical, and neurological development of babies. Research has shown that babies who utilize walkers establish faulty walking patterns due to neurological development deficiencies. With overuse of walkers, babies sometimes also experience sore leg muscles. A study in 1991 correlated early walkers to have lower grades in school – due to a lack of crawling in their developmental stages.

Crawling is a natural instinctive reflex provided to babies to prevent suffocation when lying on their stomach. Once their bones, joints, and ligaments are properly developed; infants immediately begin to crawl instinctively by 5-14 months of age.

Why is crawling so important?

Crawling enables infants to develop a cross-crawl pattern, which is simultaneous use of opposite extremities. For example, when the baby moves his/her right arm with his/her left leg, the following occurs on the opposite side. Motor nerve impulses to the extremities originate in each side of the brain cortex and cross in the brainstem to supply required motor activity to the opposite extremity; which basically means that the right brain controls the left arm and left leg, and vice versa. With crawling, the cross-crawl pattern repeats itself, and therefore uses both right and left brain for neurological coordination.

Crawling will enable an infant to learn about proper balance and coordination – such as how to use one side of their body to balance the other; which becomes very useful when learning to sit and stand.

In addition, crawling builds mental strength, where a child begins to learn problem solving skills and starts understanding the cause/effect relationship. You can also help your child build mental strength by positively reinforcing them with toys. Try placing a toy within eyesight, to help the infant develop motivation as they are rewarded with their toy when they crawl toward it.

Please don’t rush your child’s development. Each child reaches their own milestones at their own pace. If your child does not begin walking when the other children their age do, don’t panic. A study conducted in 1991 by McEwan correlated that children who began walking earlier, showed lower performance scores on pre-school assessment tests – due to the lack or motor skill development.¹

If your child has been using a baby walker, this article is not meant to alarm you. There are many studies that have been performed, but we could always use more research with larger amounts of subjects. This article is merely meant to educate and bring about awareness regarding baby walkers to help you make a more informed and educated decision regarding the use of them. Below, I will include some of my references and reading recommendations of which you may want to utilize to keep your child happy and safe.

1. McEwan MH, Dihoff RE, Brosvic GM: Early infant crawling experience is reflected in later motor skill development. Percept Motor Skills, 72(1):75-9, 1991.
2. Garrett M, et al. Locomotor milestones and babywalkers: cross sectional study. BMJ 2002;324:1494 (22 June).
3. Sears, Martha and William. The Baby Book: Everything You Need to Know About Your Baby from Birth to Age Two.
4. www.aap.org
5. www.alohaparent.com
6. http://www.cpsc.gov (Great resources for checking out recalled toys!)

For More Information, or questions regarding this article, please contact:  

Dr. Cynthia Chareunsouk – Chiropractic Kinesiologist

438 Hobron Lane Suite 315   Honolulu, HI 96815

(808) 692-2470