- In this video, I'm going to share four baby toys
which can lead to developmental delays if they're overused.
And overused is not as long as you might think.
These toys should only be used for an absolute maximum
of 10 to 15 minutes per day.
And on top of developmental delays,
they also pose safety risks
which is something you should consider as well
when deciding whether or not to use them.
The first toy is one that you might not expect.
It is the baby floor seat.
Baby floor seats are small devices
which support a baby to sit up
before they're capable of sitting independently.
And typically, they're used by babies
who are around three to six months of age.
Baby floor seats are often promoted
as a means of teaching a baby how to actually sit.
However, they don't really help babies
learn the skill of sitting nor do they actually speed up
that process.
When a baby is sitting in a baby floor seat,
they are passively placed into the sitting position
and then essentially locked into this position.
And that's because the equipment itself
actually holds them into this sitting position
by providing really firm support around their hips
and their trunk muscle.
And this snug fit eliminates the baby's need
to actually turn on their tummy and back muscles
to sit upright, which actually stops a baby
from being able to build that trunk control
and pelvic stability which is required for them to learn
to sit independently.
Furthermore, when babies are placed in baby floor seats,
they're unable to move from side to side
or backwards and forwards.
And this prevents them from being able to develop
that dynamic sitting balance which is required
for a baby to sit up independently.
Additionally, baby floor seats can also potentially increase
the risk of a baby developing hip dysplasia,
which is basically hip dislocation
or a partial hip dislocation.
And this is because when a baby sits in a baby floor seat,
their legs are encouraged to come together
and adopt a straight like positions.
They go straight in front of their body.
Now, this position is actually a known risk factor
for developmental dysplasia of the hip
or that hip dislocation.
Instead, we want our babies to be adopting
a healthy hip position where their hips come out to the side
and their knees are bent up in an M-like position,
which isn't something they can achieve
when they're using a baby floor seat.
Furthermore, there have also been cases
of babies sustaining injuries, including skull fractures,
when they're using baby floor seats.
In fact, there have been cases
where infants as young as three months of age
have fallen or escaped from a baby floor seat
by arching backwards, leaning forwards or to the side
or actually rocking in that floor seat.
Also, the risk of injury is higher
once a baby's able to independently sit up
and they're still placed in a baby floor seat
as a way to keep them in one spot
because these children are a lot more mobile
and they will try and get out of the seat by simply moving,
and that can result in them falling.
Now, before we cover the second toy that places a child
at increased risk of injury and developmental delay,
if you haven't already,
make sure you click on the free developmental checklist
in the description box below
which will give you invaluable peace of mind
as you'll know when to be expecting milestones
and when to be concerned.
Now, the second toy is baby jumpers or bouncers.
Now, baby jumpers or bouncers are designed to allow a baby
to bounce by using their toes to push off the ground.
And unfortunately, while babies tend to find this motion
extremely enjoyable, baby jumpers can negatively affect
a baby's development and place them at risk
of sustaining injuries.
So firstly, let's talk about the developmental impact.
Babies are often placed in baby jumpers
from four months of age and up.
Now, generally, until eight to nine months of age,
babies do not have the strength or muscle control
to stand up, let alone control their body movements
when they are bouncing quickly.
And because they don't have these skills
when using a baby jumper, babies will lean forward
into the slung seat rather than standing upright.
Now, standing upright is the position we need babies
to adopt when they're learning to stand up and walk.
Furthermore, baby jumpers teach babies to stand up
and push up off their tippy toes.
And regular use can actually encourage them
to have pointed toes all the time.
And this can lead to shortening of the calf muscle.
And in the extreme cases, can result in babies
needing to have serial casting
to actually lengthen the calf muscle or surgery.
This learned movement of being on their toes
is actually counterproductive to the heel strike action
that's required for independent standing and walking
and therefore can delay the development
of your baby reaching these milestones.
Also when a baby is under six months of age,
the hip joint is still developing.
And during this stage of hip development,
it's really important that babies are allowed
to adopt a healthy hip position,
which simply means that their legs should form an M
or frog-like shape.
And unfortunately, when babies are using a baby jumper,
their legs are suspended and straight.
And this is an unhealthy hip position
and it can increase the risk of abnormal hip development,
including hip dysplasia or hip dislocation.
When using baby jumpers,
babies have actually sustained limb and head injuries
after falling from these devices,
and this was due to lots of different reasons.
It was the door clamps breaking,
the laces snapping under tension,
the baby was not securely strapped into the harness
in the first place, or other siblings or pets
rushed past the baby when they're in the baby jumper
and accidentally pushed them into the doorway
and this caused an injury.
There have also been cases
where babies have actually injured their fingers
because they've become trapped or pinched in the springs
and chains of the baby jumper.
Now the third toy is an exersaucer.
So an exersaucer is a stationary play center
that has a slung seat in the middle to support a baby
while they're either standing or sitting.
Now, depending on the exersaucer being used,
the baby's feet may directly hang and rest on the floor
or they might rest on a saucer-shaped bottom.
Exersaucers are marketed as a toy
which will help to strengthen a baby's leg muscle
so that they can actually learn to stand independently.
But unfortunately, this isn't true.
And this is because babies are usually placed in exersaucers
before they can actually stand up by themselves.
Because once they can stand,
you obviously don't need this piece of equipment.
And when babies are placed in exersaucers
before they have the strength to stand independently,
instead of standing upright,
the baby will actually fall forward
and rest their tummy on the front of the slung seat.
Now this results in their hips tilting forward.
And as a result,
they need to actually curve their back backwards
to actually place their head and shoulder behind their hips
to then play with those toys.
And as their legs are not yet strong enough
to support their body, they generally lock their knees.
Now, this position of locking one's knees
and bending forward at the hip then backwards at the back
and shoulders and head is a total opposite position
your baby needs to be in to stand independently.
For a baby to actually stand up independently,
their feet need to essentially be directly underneath
their hip and their hip needs to be in a neutral position
rather than tilting forward.
So it needs to be in a neutral position
and their shoulders and heads are generally stacked
above their hips.
We do not want a child to be leaning forwards or backwards
when they're in standing because this will just lead them
to falling over.
So as you can see, the position a baby adopts
when using an exersaucer actually encourages poor alignment
and may result in the baby developing an abnormal way
of moving, which will make it more difficult for that baby
to learn to stand and walk.
In addition to potentially delaying a baby's development,
a baby is also at risk of falling out of
or climbing out of an exersaucer and injuring themselves.
And the fourth toy is a baby walker.
A baby walker is a toy that babies use
to move from one place to another
before they're able to walk.
Baby walkers typically consist of a circular frame
which has a slung seat in the middle
which holds the baby in standing
and allows their feet or toes to touch the ground
and propel themselves forwards.
Now, this might sound great,
but baby walkers are simply not safe.
Baby walkers allow infants to move quickly around the house
and grab things that are normally out of reach.
An infant in a baby walker
can actually move more than three feet
or one meter per one second.
And due to the sheer speed infants are able to move,
parents are simply unable to respond quickly enough
to actually prevent injuries.
In fact, most baby walker injuries happen
while adults are watching.
The most common injuries babies sustain
when using a baby walker include head and neck injuries,
so these include skull fractures, brain injuries, bruising,
cut lip, tooth damage, cut tongue, or skin abrasions.
Children have also sustained burns and scalds
when they've reached for hot drinks, kettles, heaters, ovens
or open fires when they're in the baby walker.
There have also been incidents of choking
after a child has been able to reach a toy
which they wouldn't have been able to reach
unless they're in the baby walker.
Children have also sustained finger and toe injuries
or breaks from when the baby walker themselves
have collapsed.
And lastly, there's been incidents of poisoning
when the baby has actually reached for cleaning
or bathroom products or medicine,
which they wouldn't have had access to
unless they were in that baby walker.
In addition to the safety risk
associated with using baby walkers,
baby walkers can stop a baby
from learning the proper mechanisms for walking.
When using baby walkers, babies sit in the slung seat
and move the baby walker, essentially, by leaning forward
and using their toes to scoot along the floor.
Now this position is actually strengthening
the wrong muscles required for walking.
To stand and then walk,
babies need to learn to stand upright, not forward,
and they need to walk on their feet, not on their toes.
The American Academy of Pediatrics
has actually clearly stated that baby walkers
do not promote independent walking
and stress that baby walkers
can actually delay normal development and motor control.
As baby walkers do not provide babies
with any developmental benefits
and they actually increase their risk
of sustaining quite serious injuries,
the American Academy of Pediatrics has actually recommended
the ban of manufacture and sale of baby walkers,
and Canada themselves have actually gone one step further
and actually banned the sale of baby walkers since 2004.
Now, if you do want to buy a toy
to help your baby learn to walk,
then what you want is actually a baby push walker.
And what you need to do is watch this video next
to find out exactly what a baby push walker is
and how it's very different to a baby walker,
as well as how a baby push walker
will help give your little one the confidence
and build their muscle strength and coordination required
to walk.
And most importantly, let you figure out
which baby push walker is going to work best for you
and your baby.