when did you put your baby....?

Question

in a walker?my son is 3 months and i think by next month he should be ready?

Answer 1

Never:

The use of mobile baby walkers is a controversial topic.
The position of the American Academy of Pediatrics is clear though. In their fact sheet 'Baby Walkers are Dangerous!' they advise that you should 'throw away your baby walker' based on the fact that:

Baby walkers send more than 14,000 children to the hospital every year, and
34 children have died since 1973 because of baby walkers.
The AAP has gone so far as to call for 'a ban on the manufacture and sale of baby walkers with wheels '

Mobile baby walkers are still popular though.

Older infants seem to enjoy them, as they often quickly get bored in stationary walkers, even the newer ones with all of the bells and whistles.

Will they help your infant learn to walk sooner?

No. It is generally believed that infant walkers don't help your kids learn to walk sooner than if they didn't use a walker. In fact, one study, Effects of baby walkers on motor and mental development in human infants, concluded that 'walker-experienced infants sat, crawled, and walked later than no-walker controls, and they scored lower on Bayley scales of mental and motor development.'

Another study, Infant walkers: developmental tool or inherent danger, found that 'the use of the infant walker did not influence the onset of independent walking.'

So while it is maybe not clear on whether or not using a mobile infant walker will delay the time that your child learns to walk, there have been no studies showing that it will help you child walk sooner than if you didn't use one.

Are infant walkers safe?

As the statistics from the AAP show, many infants are injured when they use a mobile infant walker.

Injuries include:

falls, especially down stairs
pinch injuries to fingers and toes
burns
poisonings
drowning
Most of these injuries aren't because the walker itself is dangerous, but only that it makes your child more mobile, which can cause injuries if your house isn't well childproofed. Afterall, your infant isn't going to get burned or poisoned by the walker. Instead, using a walker, he can get to and knock over a hot cup of coffee, pull something off of the stove, get too close to a fireplace or grab something poisonous out of a cabinet.

Answer 2

My baby was in a walker at 4 months. The only thing my doctor said about having her in a walker is that I should limit her to only 30 minutes a day in it. She could develop hip problems.

Answer 3

I dont mean to sound mean but walkers are BAD NEWS!! Not just because of steps but they calapse on legs, and makes it easy for babies to pull things like shelves and tvs on top of them.

I have found saucers which are stable walkers to work great. They can not move them. I put my son in his before 3 months. It depends on his neck and how big the opening is.

If you are looking for a walker there are the things thta have one leg where the baby can walk in a circle. These are great alternatives.

I dont wanna sound rude, but I would hate to hear about ANOTHER HURT BABY!!

Answer 4

7 months. at four months his back wont be strong enough to support him put him on the floor for tummy time. also this will mess up babies legs as they are too weak to support him. no walker before 6 months read the warnings on them

there is no way a 4 month old can use a walker. put baby in a swing or bouncer seat. the point of a walker is to help the child once big enough to safely learn to walk. but when baby is 7-10 months old only use it for a few minutes at a time

Answer 5

Usually by 4 months or when they are a supported sitter they should be ready. Do they even make walkers anymore? We have an stationary activity "walker".

Answer 6

Please do not use walkers with your child...instead get a saucer that rotates...walkers are dangerous in my book...I never used a walker with my four kids, instead I used a rotating saucer and they all started walking by the time they were 9 and 10 months old.....saucers do just as well as walkers without the danger.....When your child is able to sit up without falling over is when you should see about putting them in such devices....I started mine when they were about 5-6 months of age...

Answer 7

You know what, put your baby in a walker when you feel he is ready. You are his mother, you know how well his muscles are developed. Just keep an eye at him at an early age. Another suggestion, if you feel like he doesn't have enough support in it and he is leaning forward, roll up a blanket and stick it kind of around him.

All of my nieces were in walkers and we did this, and they are fine.

Answer 8

I put mine in a walker when she could hold her head up with no support.

Even if the baby can't sit up, you can still put him in the walker and put blankets in front of him and/or behind him to prop him.


EDIT:

LOL!!! Baby walkers are WONDERFUL!!
I have never met a baby that never walked due to using a walker. Both of my children used one and they both walked alone at 8 months old.

Hmmm...34 babies died since when?? 30 years ago??? Wow... How many babies die from things like choking on things in the house? or abuse? or SIDS? in the last YEAR?

That's why they still sell walkers....because there is nothing wrong with them..... It makes more since to take away the crib or the bassinet or the pack n play to prevent SIDS... Considering more babies fall to that demise than they do in a walker....

Answer 9

In Canada (where I live) walkers are illegal due to the high number of accidents associated with their use. Instead, we put our daughter in an exersaucer starting at around 4 months.

Answer 10

NEVER!
it can cause developmental problems w/your child because they don't put all their weight on their legs and hips when they are in one. which they NEED to do in order to gain strength and mobility! i suggest play mats and activity toys rather than walkers or 'walker style' activity tables.
Baby walkers send more than 14,000 children to the hospital every year, and
34 children have died since 1973 because of baby walkers.

here's a site on why you shouldn't use walkers:
http://www.drjaygordon.com/development/faqs/faq035.asp