A parent Viktoriya Vita Tatur has created a new section on child development called “What Am I Doing Differently?” I’ve read her first few stories, which resonated with me a lot – I’m sharing one with you in this guest post!!
Walkers
I do not use or place a child in walkers. We do not have such a device.
First of all, walkers are unsafe devices for children. In addition to walkers being considered a high-risk device for child injury, they also disrupt the natural development of motor skills.
According to research published in the Iranian Journal of Child Neurology, the use of walkers significantly alters the mechanism of movement (especially walking) of children in several ways.
Children who spent 2 hours or more in walkers made significant mistakes in motor skills planning. Also, walking in walkers disrupts postural control.
Secondly, depending on the duration of time spent in walkers, the child’s age, and the type of walkers themselves, the child’s musculoskeletal system is disrupted or distorted, which is at a stage of development and formation. This happens because increased pressure is placed on the child’s immature muscles, bones, and joints. A child unable to sit or stand properly must maintain this position, creating incorrect points of support. There is no proper support for the foot.
However, the most important point is the following – walkers hinder the proper formation of visual-motor coordination because the structure of walkers prevents the child from visually observing or studying the movements of their body and legs. That is, the visual experience and the experience of the legs learning to walk are not coordinated in this case.
As a result, the devices intended to help actually have a negative impact on the motor development of the child. This is most often expressed in back and spine problems and a strong correlation between the use of walkers and the risk of walking on tiptoes.
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Wishing you all the best in this difficult yet exciting journey of parenting!
Warmly,
Teacher Kira
