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Baby walkers: a perspective from Turkey
Derya Gumus Dogan1, Meki Bilici, Ayse Esra Yilmaz
1Department of Pediatrics, Fatih University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey. deryagumus@yahoo.com
Insights
Baby walker (BW) use is common in urban Turkey, with 75.4% of children using them. Many families lack awareness of BW risks, highlighting a need for pediatrician counseling on safe practices.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Consumer Product Safety
Background:
- Baby walkers (BWs) are common in urban Turkey.
- Maternal beliefs and cultural factors influence BW usage.
- Limited awareness exists regarding the benefits and hazards of BWs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the frequency of baby walker (BW) use in urban Turkey.
- To investigate maternal attitudes and beliefs concerning BWs.
- To assess the incidence of BW-related injuries and pediatrician counseling rates.
Main Methods:
- A semi-structured questionnaire was administered to mothers of children aged 2 months to 5 years.
- The study included 495 children attending well-child care clinics in Ankara, Turkey.
- Data collected included BW usage, maternal education, and injury history.
Main Results:
- Baby walker (BW) use was prevalent, with 75.4% of children utilizing them.
- Female gender and lower maternal education were associated with increased BW use.
- BW-related injuries were infrequent (7.8%), and only 18.6% of families received adequate pediatrician counseling.
Conclusions:
- Baby walker (BW) use is widespread in urban Turkey, often driven by cultural beliefs rather than evidence-based information.
- Families are largely uninformed about the potential risks and lack of benefits associated with BWs.
- Pediatricians need to counsel families on the hazards of BW use, particularly in Turkey and potentially globally.
Aim:
To determine in an urban population in Turkey, the frequency of baby walker (BW) use, beliefs and attitudes of mothers regarding BWs, frequency of BW-related injuries and whether families receive counselling from their paediatricians about BWs or not.
Methods:
Children aged 2 months to 5 years who attended the well-child care clinics of Fatih University Hospital in Ankara comprised the sample. A semi-structured questionnaire was verbally administered.
Results:
Of 495 children, 75.4% was found to use BW. Female gender [odds ratio (OR) = 1.82, 95% confidence interval (CI) =1.19-2.78) and lower maternal education (OR = 0.37, 95% CI = 1.18-0.74) were found to be associated with BW use. Frequencies of injuries associated with BWs were low (7.8%). Only 92 (18.6%) families received appropriate counselling by their paediatricians.
Conclusion:
The results of our study show that BW use is common in urban Turkey. Families are not informed about the lack of benefits and potential hazards of BWs and base reasons of using and not using on unique cultural beliefs rather than informed, evidence-based decisions. Paediatricians in Turkey and potentially other countries require information about the need for counselling families about the hazards associated with BW use.
