Effect of Baby Walkers on the Development of Locomotor Skills in Infants

Cover Page

Cite item

Full Text

Abstract

A retrospective cohort study of the effect of baby walkers on the locomotor skills in children was performed. The study included 358 infants aged 11 to 15 months. To simplify the calculation we introduced the “walkers-day” index that was equal to 1 hour of walkers use per day for 1 month. The delay of non-assisted locomotion for 0.33 months (10.04 days) was observed in all walkers’ users and for 0.43 months in babies who used walkers within the interval of 1-21 “walkers-days”. It was stated that use of walkers was a risk factor of walking inability at the age of 11-12 months (Pearson coefficient (C) = 0.110, p<0.05; relative risk (RR) = 1.439 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.027-2.016) and caused the increase of lower extremity extensors tonus (C=0.417, p<0.01; RR=3.555 (95% CI = 2.535-4.990). The obtained data allow to state that baby walkers exert a negative influence on locomotor development and to abandon their use.

About the authors

A. N Sharov

Rzhev TsRH

Email: sklif79@yandex.ru
врач травматолог-ортопед Ржевской ЦРБ; Тел.: +7 (905) 600-33-09 Rzhev, Russia

A. V Krivova

Tver’ State Medical University

доктор мед. наук, доцент кафедры травматологии, ортопедии и ВПХ Тверского ГМУ Tver’, Russia

References

  1. Laffoy M., Fitzpatrick P., Jordan M., Dowdall D. Attitudes to and use of baby walkers in Dublin. Inj. Prev. 1995; 1 (2): 109-11.
  2. Baron M.E., Boyle R.M., Endriss E.K. Parental decisions to use infant walkers. Inj. Prev. 1998; 4 (4): 299-300.
  3. Mayr J., Gaisl M., Purtscher K., Noeres H., Schimpl G., Fasching G. Baby walkers-an underestimated hazard for our children? Eur. J. Pediatr. 1994; 153 (7): 531-4.
  4. Kendrick D., Marsh P. Babywalkers: prevalence of use and relationship with other safety practices. Inj. Prev. 1998; 4 (4): 295-8.
  5. Thein M.M., Lee J., Tay V., Ling S.L. Infant walker use, injuries, and motor development. Inj. Prev. 1997; 3 (1): 63-6.
  6. Crouchman M. The effects of baby walkers on early locomotor development. Dev. Med. Child Neurol. 1986; 28 (6): 757-61.
  7. Engelbert R.H., van Empelen R., Scheurer N.D., Helders P.J., van Nieuwenhuizen O. Influence of infant-walkers on motor development: mimicking spastic diplegia? Eur. J. Paediatr. Neurol. 1999; 3 (6): 273-5.
  8. Garrett M., McElroy A.M., Staines A. Locomotor milestones and baby walkers: cross sectional study. BMJ. 2002; 324 (7352): 1494.
  9. Kauffman I.B., Ridenour M. Influence of an infant walker on onset and quality of walking pattern of locomotion: an electromyographic investigation. Percept. Mot. Skills. 1977; 45 (3 Pt 2): 1323-9.
  10. Ridenour M.V. Infant walkers: developmental tool or inherent danger. Percept. Mot. Skills. 1982; 55 (3 Pt 2): 1201-2.
  11. Siegel A.C., Burton R.V. Effects of baby walkers on motor and mental development in human infants. J. Dev. Behav. Pediatr. 1999; 20 (5): 355-60.
  12. Mancini M.C., Magalhães L.C. CLINICAL SCENARIO. 2007.
  13. Burrows P., Griffiths P. Do baby walkers delay onset of walking in young children? Br. J. Community Nurs. 2002; 7 (11): 581-6.
  14. Бернштейн Н.А. Биомеханика и физиология движений. М.: Издательство «Институт практической психологии»; Воронеж: НПО «МОДЕК»; 1997: 213-4.
  15. Покровский В.М., Коротько Г.Ф., ред. Физиология человека: учебник. М.: Медицина; 2003: 165-6.
  16. Onis M. WHO Motor Development Study: windows of achievement for six gross motor development milestones. Acta Paediatr. Suppl. 2006; 450: 86-95.
  17. Shields B.J., Smith G.A. Success in the prevention of infant Walker-Related injuries: an analysis of national data, 1990-2001. Pediatrics. 2006; 117 (3): e452-e459.
  18. Mayr J. Gaisl M., Purtscher K., Noeres H., Schimpl G., Fasching G. Baby walkers - an underestimated hazard for our children? Eur. J. Pediatr. 1994; 153 (7): 531-4.
  19. Partington M.D., Swanson J.A., Meyer F.B. Head injury and the use of baby walkers: a continuing problem. Ann. Emerg. Med. 1991; 20 (6): 652-4.
  20. Birchall M.A., Henderson H.P. Thermal injury associated with infant walking-aids. Burns. 1988; 14 (3): 244-7.

Supplementary files

Supplementary Files
Action
1. JATS XML
Download

Copyright (c) 2016 Eco-Vector



Согласие на обработку персональных данных

 

Используя сайт https://journals.rcsi.science, я (далее – «Пользователь» или «Субъект персональных данных») даю согласие на обработку персональных данных на этом сайте (текст Согласия) и на обработку персональных данных с помощью сервиса «Яндекс.Метрика» (текст Согласия).