Don't put baby in walker?

Question

At my babys 4 month check up I was reading the pamphlet i got and it said not "to put baby in walker." Does it mean just for this age and wait until they get a lil older or not at all?

Lady T....Im not trying to put my baby in a walker right now...i was just asking what the pamphlet was trying to say

Answer 1

DONT means never. walkers are not safe and they have to put that in pamphlets cause some idiots willput their kids in a walker near stairs =)

Answer 2

Walkers are considered to be unsafe because if you're not supervising your baby properly, they could roll down the stairs. I've also heard that a walker would make a baby bow-legged and delay them learning to walk. I've heard those other things are safer...can't remember what they're called. They're like a walker, but without the wheels. We live in a one story house, and both of my boys were in walkers from about 5 months on up. Neither of them are bow-legged, my older son started walking at 11 months, my younger son started walking at 12 months, and they never rolled down any steps. They were honestly much happier babies once we put them in the walker...they could get around better and "explore", if you will. If they can't do that, what's their other option...sitting in the middle of the floor crying because they can't reach any toys or books because they don't know how to crawl yet? Being carried around by you or your husband all the time? I loved the walker we had, and if we have any more kids, I'll put that one in a walker, too. :)

Answer 3

There are several reasons why they say that walkers aren't good for babies.

First, there are lots of safety risks. Babies can move so quickly in them, and they're up higher than they would be on the ground, so you have to be sure to babyproof absolutely everything. Also, they can tip over or fall down the stairs.

Second, walkers can hinder baby's development. If the baby is always in a walker, then he may not learn other methods of getting around. Likewise, in a walker, they walk on their toes, which doesn't teach them to walk normally and can cause some problems in some children.

An acceptable alternative is an exersaucer. It allows the child to be upright and playing with toys, but he/she is not moving around. My older daughter loved the exersaucer. (My younger daughter was not impressed with it at all.) Again, you want to make sure that your baby has plenty of time to play on the floor, but at least an exersaucer isn't the safety hazard that a walker can be.

Hope that answers your question!

Answer 4

Walkers used to be taboo for awhile mostly because they weren't as wide as most are now and many babies went crashing down stairways. Most walkers you buy now are wider than most door frames. You should check all walkers and keep them away from stairs if they aren't wide enough. A baby should be able to hold their head up so their not slumped over. They need not be able to walk in it yet or even stand....as long as they can sit comfortable in it...probably 6-8 months. Look at the age ranges on available walkers at your local store. As long as you find a good walker with no prior recalls and take all the precautions you should be good. I recommend this walker:
http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/ref=br_1_11/602-8246071-1561436?%5Fencoding=UTF8&frombrowse=1&asin=B000BLGVHY

It rotates around an activity table...so they're moving more than a stationary entertainer..but not really going anywhere. Otherwise just stick to the security guidelines I said above.

Answer 5

Everybody has different opinions on this. My son has been in a walker since he was around 5 months. I just put a small pillow in the walker to stabalize him a little better. He is now 7 months and basically running in it. They say that babies can flip them over but I have never heard of it happening to anybody I know. I just watch him very closely.

Answer 6

I had my baby in a walker for a while, I don't remember when we started, but we stopped when he could walk. I kept him in it after he learned to crawl (8 months) because we take him to work with us everyday at our shop and it was a very dirty floor. He took his first step at 9 months, and was a fulltime walker at 10 months. He never had any falls or hurts from it and really loved it. Just make sure there are NO stairs or steps, and keep an eye on him.

Answer 7

My daughter used a walker - there were no stairs in our apartment, but once she fell over blanket on which was on the floor. I removed the blanket and ALWAYS keep an eye on her. She loved to roll around everywhere - it had wheeles, BUT she never crawled, she walked by herself a week after her 1st birthday, she didn't know how to stretch hands in front of her when the fall came because she never crawled and had bruises on her head all the time. Other children didn't have such a falls and everybody admired her how she walks. She also has very strong legs. But I am not going to use it for my second child because I doubt she would ever learn how to walk by herself if I left her in it and also i think it's too risky even if it doesn't have wheeles.

Answer 8

It means not at all. Walkers are still sold in the US, but have been the source of many infant injuries, due to infants using them to walk to a stairway or other drop-off and falling.

If you have a walker, return it and get a stationary play toy like an exersaucer instead. If it can't be returned, and you can't replace it, make sure you only let baby use it in a closed-off room. You can put baby gates in the doorways to keep your baby from using it to walk outside the room.

Answer 9

I think the pamphlet meant dont ever use a walker...there pretty dangerous. But I had my son in one of those exersaucer things at 4 months and he loved it. Mine is the evenflo excersaucer...you should check them out! The link I attached is the one I bought for my son. Good luck with everything

Answer 10

It means not at all, but you have to use your own judgement and common sense. I used walkers for all 4 of my kids as it entertained them for awhile, giving me time to get something done. However, you have to be SO CAREFUL with stairs and remember that they can reach things they couldn't before. You have to baby proof really well, but then you'll have to eventually anyway when they start crawling. If you use common sense and be more careful than you think you need to, then your baby should be fine. There will be lots of things you'll need/want to do with your baby that isn't recommended for everyone, so you'll have to learn to pick and choose what's right for you.

By the way, my littlest boy learned to climb out of his at 8 months, but never flipped it, although once he learned to climb we took it away.

And to reply to the above, using a walker has nothing to do with whether a baby will crawl or not. They will - you don't see any 20 year olds still in walkers do you?

Answer 11

I think 4 months is too early to put a baby in a walker. Wait until the baby has more head and body coordination. Think about it - What can a baby do in a walker at 4 months? Nothing. Walkers were created babies that are trying to walk.