We worry about them because kids get hurt in them sometimes. It’s also because they actually don’t encourage walking –they hinder the natural neuromuscular development that needs to happen for walking to occur.

Just to be clear - the walkers I speak of are the ones that you sit your child down into. There is a seat into which you slide their legs, and there are usually wheels on the bottom.

A recent study by the American Academy of Pediatrics found that from 1990-2014, over 230,000 kids visited ERs across the country because of injuries related to infant walkers.

The majority of the kiddos in the study ranged from age 7-10 months. Most of the children suffered head and neck injuries (90%). Almost 75 percent were injured by going down stairs in the walker.

I’ve also seen kids get neck and chest injuries from being whipped around by an older sibling. And some even get finger injuries from gripping the sides of the walker and then slamming into a wall!

The study states that “walker–related injuries can be severe and can include skull fracture, brain injury, burns, poisoning, and drowning” and that “from 2004 to 2008, infant walkers were associated with 8 pediatric fatalities”. This is absolutely eye-opening to me.

Another thing that is troublesome about walkers is that they keep kids from doing that very thing: walking.

If you sling a child’s pelvis in a sack, it lifts the child’s weight for them while they pull along the ground with their toes/feet. It doesn’t force the kiddo to lift his own weight. It keeps certain hip and pelvic muscles from developing the strength and coordination they need to actually learn the process of walking. This is the reason physical therapists have disliked walkers for a long time.

This article does not apply to the “push walkers” that kids stand up and push. We actually like those more, because there are less injuries involved with these devices, and kids are lifting and moving their own weight properly.

My advice is to throw out your sit-in infant walker. It seems they’re even more dangerous than we initially thought, and to me, the fun freedom of movement is just not worth it. Throw that sweet kiddo on a soft rug or blanket, spread out some toys on the ground and on the couch, and watch that child learn how to move on his own.

If you want proof, read this diverse list of our most popular stories of 2016. We hope you enjoy our look back:

10. 7 Ear Infection Myths Every Parent Should Know. Parents flocked to this blog from Doc Smitty. Can your child go swimming with an ear infection? Do all ear infections need antibiotics? If your child gets ear tubes, will the infections stop?  All this and more was answered in this blog.

9. 7 Online Challenges This ER Doctor Warns Could Be Deadly Oh the Internet. Where kids do all kinds of things to get noticed and maybe go to hospital in the process. We asked our medical director of the Emergency Department to look at seven really silly, really dangerous dares that kids (or grownups for that matter) shouldn't try at home. 

8. Almond Milk: A Nutty Fad or Healthy Alternative. Almond milk sales have gone through the roof over the past decade. But is it the right drink for your child? Doc Smitty gave the answer in this informative piece. 

7. The Death of Ethan: A Life of Chronic Pain Ends in Tragedy. This is the most recent entrant in our list of top 10 stories. Only the fact that it was published in December kept this story out of the top five. We were so honored that Ethan's parents shared their son's story of a life filled with chronic pain. They want you to read it to learn about their son and hopefully help other children who may be suffering as well.

6. New Hope In Fight Against Deadly Brain-Eating Amoeba. The Lewis family holds a special place in the hearts of everyone involed in the Checkup Newsroom. Following the tragic death of their son Kyle to a brain infection caused by a water-born amoeba, Jeremy and Julie Lewis created Kyle Cares. Read their inspiring story as they fought to bring a drug to Cook Children's and other hospitals around the nation that may save children's lives.

5. 11 Tips That Could Save Your Daughter's Life.  In Janaury 2016, Rylie Whitten made national headlines after suffering one of the worst cases of toxic shock syndrome (TSS)  that her doctors had ever seen. Rylie's story moved us to run this informative piece on TSS that we hope every parent of a daughter reads.

4. A Sign From Heaven: Family Travels Across U.S. For Care at Cook Children's. A family's desperate search for answers on Google led them to Cook Children's. Read the fascinating story of what led this family to travel from Detroit, Mich. to Fort Worth, Texas, to be treated for a rare condition called hyperinsulinism.

3. The Most Common Rash You Never Knew About. Ever heard of molluscum contagiosum? We hadn't when Dr. Diane Arnaout wrote this blog for the newsroom. Dr. Diane's informative blog "that will save you and your child pain, money, time and anxiety" went viral quickly and became our third most read story of the year.

2. RSV On The Rise: 6 Things Every Parent Should Know. Here we are at the beginning of 2017 and we have been lucky in that we haven't seen much flu yet at Cook Children's. But we have seen plenty of RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), which explains the popularity of this great blog from Dr. Lizy Varughese.

1. Let's Learn Something: Bouncers, Jumpers and Walkers. Dr. Diane Arnaout's "Let's Learn Something" series was a big hit this year and none were bigger than this tale of caution. Dr. Diane's blog on how baby bumpers, bouncers and activity centers could play a role in your baby's motor delays is our most read new story of 2017. You've probably read this blog. But if you aren't one of the more than 117,000 readers who took a look, now's the time. And if you have read it, feel free to click again.

Well, that's it for 2016. Thank you all for reading. We'll be back with plenty more stories to tell in 2017.

She is a sweet and happy baby who loves to babble ("mamama"... be still my heart!), pick up small toys and explore them slowly, play peek-a-boo, pick up her tiny foods with two fingers, point, laugh, and clap.

Things she cannot do? Crawl with her belly off the floor. Pull up to stand, or really put much weight on her legs at all. Shift from sitting to crawling to sitting again. Cruise along the furniture while holding onto it. She has delays in what we call “gross motor development” – the development of the “big movements.”

I see patients all the time at our Willow Park office that have gross motor delays, so I know not to worry. Lots of things can contribute to this. Sometimes it's just genetics. Sometimes it’s the baby's weight-to-height ratio. I notice that leaner, smaller kids tend to develop these movements faster, and bigger, longer kids sometimes need more time to build the strength to try these things. As you can see from the pictures, Abby has not missed any meals. There are exceptions to every rule of course, but I think this plays a role.

The baby’s temperament can also lead to delays. Some kids want to go go go...and some are completely fine with sitting still and working with what is in a close vicinity. Abby certainly fits into this latter scenario.

Of course there are numerous medical conditions that can cause motor delays. Always make sure, if your child has delays, to ask your pediatrician for a good neurological exam to check things like muscle tone.

Unfortunately, I believe what has played a big role in Abby’s delay is the amount of time she has spent in her favorite jumpers.

Baby jumpers, bouncers, exersaucers, and activity centers (they’re all basically the same thing) are stationary devices that allow a child to “stand” and bounce prior to developing those skills naturally. Kids love them because they’re fun and stimulating – most have toys and games attached – and they get to see more of the room and things going on around them, along with getting a chance to bounce up and down easily. Parents love them, because, let’s face it – they’re a quick and safe option for a break.

Baby walkers are similar – except they are on wheels so babies can bounce/pull themselves around the house. I have never owned one of these because they come with safety risks – children can fall down stairs, tip over, touch a hot stove, get pushed by siblings, pinch fingers, and slam into walls in these devices, and as fun as they seem, they’re not a good idea.

Around 4-5 months we started putting Abby in a jumper and she was thrilled! Finally she could be propped up and see everyone! She could control her body enough to bounce, and loved it. We were happy too, because we were constantly chasing her 2-year-old brother around, and it was nice to have a safe place to plop her down while that happened. Admittedly, it became a habit. When we’d read books, Abby would be propped up to be able to see the pictures. When we’d sing songs and play music with her big brother…Abby would get to howl and jump along in the bouncer. When we had to deal with the 2-year-old tantrums (and boy are those frequent)…in she went. Emptying groceries? Bouncer. Going to bathroom? Bouncer. Cooking dinner? Boom. Folding laundry? Ker-splat. She was probably in them a total of an hour to an hour and a half a day.

Looking back, she was in the bouncer way too much. Learn from my mistake, friends. Yes, pediatricians make mistakes.

Other doctors may think these things are harmless, but I respectfully disagree. Especially since I suspect my own child has likely been affected. Physical therapists have been warning parents for years about the problems with bouncers. And the more I’ve researched it, the more I’ve realized that too much time in these things can be detrimental to a child’s development.

I spoke with Gail Abaray, a pediatric physical therapist in Weatherford, who told me, "Bouncers don't allow infants to explore and move. They are limited in what they can do, and are stationary. And that pull to explore is so important. When they cruise the furniture, they learn about lateral movement, and how to turn their legs and feet. In a stationary bouncer, all of that coordination can't happen."

Look at the picture of Abby in her favorite bouncer. See how she’s on her tiptoes? This is typical and leads to the majority of the strength being recruited from her calves and thighs. What is not getting a workout is her hip, gluteal, pelvic and core muscles – and these are the ones that help children crawl and eventually walk.

Their hips are spread unnaturally wide by a piece of stiff fabric. They often lock their knees, especially the younger babies.

Babies cannot see their feet or the ground in these devices either – and thus cannot coordinate their body well in them.

Their upper bodies are also thrust forward – taking all the pressure/weight off their gluteal and hip muscles. The very muscles they need to strengthen.

The same things happen in walkers – babies are pulling themselves along while most of their weight is supported, and this works out and coordinates all the wrong muscles. They also can’t see the ground or their feet. “Walkers” are a true oxymoron here – they lead to delays in walking naturally.

So what do I recommend to parents now? Well…go buy a bouncer! They’re great! But – use them in moderation. Don’t put one in every room, like I did – it’ll only lead you to use them more. Use it only for very short periods of time – maybe 15 minutes here and there, once or twice a day – 20 or 30 minutes a day, max! Physical therapist Gail agrees: "I always tell parents not to feel guilty for using them. I did! But moderation is key!"

And avoid walkers in general. I am not convinced they’re safe or worth the money.

Don't feel guilty if you've put your baby in a bouncer - we all need breaks. And it's hard to deny they're so happy in them! But remember the big picture - kids need to learn to explore their environment on their own. It's vital to their development!

As for miss Abby-pants? Well, we got rid of all the bouncers and for the past month have set strict tummy time rules – she must work for toys on the floor for nearly the entire day, and must practice standing several times a day. She yells at me about it all day, but boy has this tough love helped. She has already shown vast improvements. She is now able to stand supporting herself on a piece of furniture, can quickly army crawl (using her arms mostly), and is starting to lift that big belly off the floor! We are also enlisting the help of a local pediatric physical therapist to help with some exercises and strategies. Slowly but surely, she’ll get there!

Hugs,

Dr. Diane