Babywalkers: are they necessary? Information for parents

Physiotherapists and other Health Professionals DO NOT recommend the use of babywalkers.

There are two main reasons for this:

• Safety – even under supervision there are high numbers of accidents reported every year including: falling down stairs, head injuries, burns, scalds, and trapped arms / legs.
• Delayed development – some studies have shown that babywalkers do not encourage development and may actually delay the achievement of standing and walking. Contrary to popular belief, they DO NOT teach a child to walk. They can cause a child to walk on their toes which may continue when they walk independently.