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The use of baby walkers in Iranian infants
F Shiva1, F Ghotbi, S F Yavari
1Department of Paediatrics, Shahid Beheshti Medical University, Paediatric Infections Research Centre, Mofid Children's Hospital, Dr Shariati Avenue, Tehran 15468154, Iran. shivahfa@yahoo.com
Insights
Baby walkers do not help infants walk sooner and may cause injuries. Despite awareness of risks, parents continue to use them, believing they aid early walking.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Child Development
- Injury Prevention
Background:
- Baby walkers are commonly used by infants.
- Concerns exist regarding their impact on infant motor development and safety.
- Understanding usage patterns and injury rates is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate baby walker usage patterns in infants.
- To determine the incidence of walker-related injuries.
- To assess the effect of baby walkers on the onset of independent walking.
Main Methods:
- A study enrolled families with infants aged 6 months to 2 years.
- Caregivers were interviewed using a pre-designed questionnaire.
- Data from baby walker users and non-users were compared.
Main Results:
- Baby walkers were used by 54.5% of infants, with higher usage in one-child families and highly educated parents.
- No significant difference was found in the age of independent walking between users and non-users.
- 14.1% of infants experienced minor walker-associated injuries, and most parents believed walkers promote early walking.
Conclusions:
- Baby walkers do not accelerate independent walking in infants.
- Walker use is associated with a risk of minor injuries.
- Parental awareness of hazards does not significantly deter baby walker use.
Introduction:
A study was conducted to define the pattern of baby walker usage and the rate of walker-related injuries in infants, as well as to determine the effects of baby walkers on the start of independent walking among infants.
Methods:
Families of infants aged six months to two years who presented at health facility clinics in 2007 and 2008 were enrolled in the study. The study team interviewed the primary caregiver and documented the relevant data on a pre-designed questionnaire. The data of users of baby walkers was compared with that of non-users.
Results:
Walkers were used by 54.5 percent of 414 infants. Their use was significantly higher in one-child families (p-value is 0.009) and in those with higher parental education levels (p-value is less than 0.001). 78.6 percent of users and 85 percent of non-users were walking by 12 months of age (p-value is 0.283); no significant difference was observed between the two groups in terms of the age at which the infants starting walking (p-value is 0.401). 76.8 percent of parents of users versus 8.2 percent of parents of non-users believed that walkers promote early walking (p-value is less than 0.001). 44.7 percent of parents of users knew that walkers can be hazardous, as compared to 22.3 percent of parents of non-users. No serious injury was reported, but 14.1 percent of infants sustained trivial walker-associated injuries.
Conclusion:
Baby walkers do not hasten independent walking and may be associated with injuries. However, it was noted that knowledge of the associated hazards has not deterred parents from using baby walkers for their infants.
