BABY WALKERS HELP A BABY LEARN TO WALK SOONER

Many of us have fond memories, if not of our own baby walkers, then of younger siblings whom we remember zooming around the house with great glee before they could walk... in a “baby walker”.

In essence, a baby walker consists of a rigid frame on wheels with a seat. Babies can sit in the seat and move around before they are able to sit alone or crawl.

Tina advises, “From a developmental perspective, these toys don’t help your baby to walk, and may even slow down his development and affect his ability to read and write later, because he won’t learn how to balance properly. Modern thinking is to avoid them, as much as they can seemingly be fun. They are not safe for babies, and experts strongly advise that you don’t succumb to temptation and get your little one a baby walker.”

■ In a baby walker, your little one can move around quickly before he’s old enough to control what he’s doing, so he can run into all sorts of dangers.

■ Heather comments, “Babies are not meant to be fully weightbearing at a very young age. Your baby will also be taller in his baby walker, and able to reach hazards that he wouldn’t normally be able to reach, for example electrical cords, hot drinks on low tables, cleaning products and hot ovens.”

■ She adds, “Many babies – especially those under 12 months – have suffered head injuries while in a baby walker, particularly from tipping down a step or having the wheels get caught in irregular joints in paved areas.”