Search

Background: Decisions about the use of baby walker are in part predicated on caregivers´ beliefs about its effect on gait development. The actual effects of baby walkers, however, have not been established., Research Question: What are the effects of the use of baby walker prior to gait onset on age of acquisition of this milestone and on early walking kinematics?, Methods: Thirty-two toddlers, 16 in the baby walker group (BWG) and 16 in the non-users group (BWNG), were evaluated in the week of gait acquisition and monthly up to six months after this event. Spatial and temporal gait parameters and lower limb kinematics during walking were assessed using a tridimensional motion analysis system. An independent t-test compared age of gait acquisition between groups. A mixed ANOVA examined the effects of group, moment of assessment and the group x moment of assessment interaction effect on the amplitude of joint motions during walking and on spatial and temporal gait parameters., Results: The age of gait acquisition was not different between groups. BWG had lower gait speed (specifically in the first, third, fourth, and fifth months after gait acquisition) and longer duration of stance and swing phases than BWNG. Additionally, BWG had smaller knee amplitude and greater hip amplitude in sagittal plane than BWNG in the week of gait acquisition., Significance: The results demonstrated that there is no delay in the age of gait acquisition, but there are differences in kinematics. These results can contribute to evidence-based recommendations by health care professionals about the use of baby walker by toddlers during emergence and early development of gait., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None declared., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To understand the opinion of the parents about the baby walker and compare the age of gait acquisition between infants that used a walker and those that did not., Methods: In this quali-quantitative study, an interview involving a semi-structured questionnaire was carried out with 26 parents, 14 of whose infants used the equipment (BWG) and 12 of whose infants did not (NBWG) prior to gait acquisition. After extensive content analysis, categories for interpreting the results emerged. For data triangulation, the age of gait acquisition was documented by weekly telephone contact. Student's t-test was used for comparison between groups with a significance level of α=0.05., Results: The following categories were identified in the parents' reports: a) information about the baby walker; b) doubt/decision to use it vs. certainty about not using it; c) beliefs about the use of a baby-walker; and d) benefits and harm from use. The age of independent gait acquisition did not differ between groups (p=0.837): BWG initiated gait at 376.17 (SD=32.62) days and NBWG did so at 378.75 (SD=27.99) days., Conclusions: The beliefs and feelings that permeate the decision to use a baby walker illustrate the different rationales adopted by parents about the role of this equipment in the child's development of gait and autonomy. The use of a baby walker did not influence the age of gait acquisition. The results broaden the understanding of choices that influence child-rearing practices prior to gait acquisition.