A Consultant Paediatrician at the Massey Street Children Hospital, Lagos, Dr Zainab Opoola says parents buying walkers for their babies are exposing them to harm and accident.
Opoola who spoke during an interview with PUNCH HealthWise said they could also fall out of walkers and get hurt.
The American Academy of Paediatrics strongly urged parents not to use baby walkers.
“Contrary to what the name suggests, these devices do not help children learn to walk. They eliminate the desire to walk. To make matters worse, they present a serious tipping hazard when the child bumps into an obstacle, like a small toy or a throw rug.
“Children in walkers are also more likely to fall down stairs and get into dangerous places otherwise beyond their reach”, the academy said.
According to AAP, many babies’ first steps are taken around their first birthday, although it’s normal for children to start walking earlier or later.
Opoola said contrary to popular belief, using a walker delays independent walking instead of aiding the child to walk.
The paediatrician said, “Baby walkers have no added advantage to the child’s ability to walk. We don’t encourage the use of baby walkers.
” When a child is on the walker, you just assume that the baby is “safe” but many accidents can still happen especially for children that are already trying to walk. And the make of the baby walker if it is not strong enough, the thing can just slip and the baby falls and an accident happens.
Opoola noted that it was because of such accidents that paediatricians no longer recommend baby walkers, especially as it does not have benefits as regards their motor milestones.
Giving insight into some of the reasons why babies walk late, the paediatrician said that there are factors that could predispose babies to walk late even though some babies are slow walkers.
She explained, “Many things can make a baby walk late. Before walking, there are other milestones. There is neck control, sitting, and crawling. So, if a child has had delays in the previous ones, and is having delays in walking, you won’t be surprised.
“That means there is something wrong with the child’s motor development generally. Most times, it is usually if there is an injury to the brain, like during birth if the baby did not cry immediately after birth oxygen didn’t get to the brain and the child has what we call prenatal asphyxia.
“So, that can manifest as all these delays in motor milestones which will eventually cause delayed walking. However, not all children with delayed walking have asphyxia. That is just a cause.
She also identified poorly treated neonatal jaundice, spinal defects, vitamin D deficiency, rickets, and general malnutrition as other factors that could cause delayed waking in babies.
Opoola however said, “But before a paediatrician can say that walking is delayed, the baby should already be more than 16 to 18 months. So, by 16 months, you start getting worried but by 18 months, it is a big problem. But a year and two months are not bad is just that that child is a slow walker.”
She further urged parents whose children are experiencing delays in achieving motor milestones to take them to trained medical personnel for evaluation to be sure there is no problem.
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