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In France, almost all the major childcare brands have a baby walker in their catalog. Yet it is banned in Canada For years, psychomotor therapists have been reluctant, and the very serious Consumer Safety Commission regularly warns against the risk of accidents.
Parents, so eager to see their baby take their first steps, may see the baby walker, also known as the youpala, as the perfect solution to help them learn to walk.
The trotter has existed since the Middle Ages and has continued to modernize. Recent models offer a musical playing table and are sometimes upgradeable. The principle remains the same: to seat a baby in a seat suspended from a support on wheels. At the age when he is not yet walking, the toddler walks with his toes and moves. In fact, the baby walker is used from the moment it is able to sit on its own until it is walking well. He thus discovers a great feeling of freedom, to turn, turn, launch… on condition of having a long corridor where he can move without hindrance. Because beware, the baby walker is not a toy like any other.
The baby walker: a risky toy for baby?
Data compiled by emergency departments of European and American hospitals over the past twenty years consistently show that baby walkers are dangerous objects, the use of which results in thousands of children being admitted to hospital every year.
Trotters have been banned in Canada since 2004. In France, it is regularly singled out by the authorities. And the European Child Safety Alliance is campaigning for its ban because many models do not comply with the French safety standards implemented in 2005 defining safety requirements and testing methods.
According to this organization, more than 80% of accidents in trotters occur on stairs where the child falls, in the majority of cases leading to head trauma or brain damage. The other accidents listed: burns, parents letting their child play in the kitchen in their baby walker.
Baby walker would interfere with baby’s learning to walk
Psychomotor therapists also deplore the impact on the development of walking in children. Its prolonged use may interfere with the natural development of locomotion. Toddlers, who feel like they are tiptoeing, move around effortlessly and don’t really explore the coordination of their arms and legs. The trotter would prevent them from finding their own balance since they find themselves early in an upright position. In addition, since they cannot change their position even if they want to, they tire quickly and cannot relax their muscles. It is therefore important to consider the walker as a game and not as a walking simulator or a “babysitter”. And don’t exceed 20 minutes a day.
Precautions to be taken with a baby walker
If, despite everything, you really want to invest in a baby walker, it is essential to take some precautions. First, wait until your baby can sit up on his own. It is generally around 8 months that he will be able to naturally find balance in his walker.
Baby walker: how to make the right choice
Choose a model that complies with European standard NF EN 1273: 2005. This requires manufacturers to perform stability tests in order to prevent babies from tipping over or being able to reach dangerous objects (hence their wide base and their flared shape).
The most frequent accidents with the baby walker
Be careful not to not use the baby walker near a staircase, a window or a sloping passage. Also keep hazardous substances or objects out of reach of your toddler. Also forbid your child access to the kitchen.
Finally, even if it is comfortably installed, never relax your vigilance and do not leave it no more than 30 minutes in his baby walker. These devices must remain an early learning game, not a seating system. To walk around, it is better to avoid rigid shoes. The ideal: slippers-socks, reinforced with non-slip soles.
As soon as your child is walking or gaining speed, stop using the baby walker.
What other toys to stimulate baby’s walking?
Know that each child grows at his own pace and that there is no point in skipping steps. Your little one will be walking when they’re ready! Nevertheless, sIf you want to encourage him to stand up or take his first steps, the play mat and playpen are the best options. In these secure spaces, your baby will experience new postures on his own which will gradually lead him to walking.
You can also opt for baby walkers or walking carts. By leaning on these toys, your child will progress gradually. Some even have an activity center, allowing Baby to discover shapes and colors. Attention, only one golden rule. Whatever object you choose, always keep an eye on your child.