"Should Parents Avoid Using Baby Walkers? The Surprising Hazards Revealed"

Concerns on Children's Gross Motor Development, Especially Walking

Generally speaking, parents pay closer attention to their children's gross motor development, with walking being one of the most crucial gross motor skills. In daily life, some young parents, eager to nurture their children, resort to methods such as using walkers to aid in the learning process, hoping to expedite their child's ability to walk. However, they might be unaware that this approach constitutes a form of "forcing," which can be more detrimental to children. Parents and caregivers should exercise caution.

1. Insufficient Crawling, Harmful to Child Development

Children's growth and development often follow specific patterns, particularly in gross motor development, which is continuous and staged. Prior to learning to walk, children should engage in ample crawling, as crawling lays the foundation for walking. Insufficient crawling can significantly impact children's health, affecting physical coordination, brain lateralization, and potentially manifesting as learning difficulties and attention issues once they enter kindergarten or elementary school.

2. Compromised Balance System

Using walkers can also disrupt children's balance systems. Research indicates that the first relationship humans need to coordinate is with gravity. Humans can stand upright and maintain balance across various postures and situations, primarily due to extensive sensory activities that continually exercise and mature the human balance system. Children who learn to walk using walkers, however, may not develop their balance abilities effectively, predisposing them to motion sickness, disorientation, and hyperactivity later in life.

3. Impaired Spatial Perception

Premature use of walkers can also hinder the development of spatial awareness, a crucial aspect of cognitive development. Our three-dimensional positioning in the environment is fundamental to spatial perception. For children, this sense is often linked to their ability to write within lines and later to three-dimensional geometry in school and driving skills in adulthood. Crawling is an effective way to exercise spatial perception, as it requires children to adjust their movements relative to objects and spaces. In contrast, children using walkers often do not need to judge distances from furniture or walls, thereby limiting their spatial perception development.

4. Bone Deformities and "Knock-Knees"

Normally, the body's weight is evenly distributed across joints. Knock-knees, where the knees turn inward, put excessive pressure on the inner joints, leading to increased friction and wear on the cartilage, potentially resulting in osteoarthritis. This condition can significantly increase the likelihood of joint pain, especially in old age. In summary, the use of walkers poses significant risks to children, and parents must be vigilant.

Beyond the aforementioned hazards, walkers can also encourage toe-walking, which can lead to developmental delays over time. We remind parents that learning to walk is a gradual process, involving crawling, transitioning to a supported position, walking with assistance, and finally, independent walking. It is essential to allow children to progress naturally through these stages.