THE PHYSIOTHERAPY PERSPECTIVE ON THE IMPACT OF THE USE OF BABY WALKERS ON THE CHILD'S MOTOR DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

Introduction: This study aims to investigate, in a critical and comprehensive manner, whether the use of baby walkers accelerates or delays the child's motor development, focusing on important milestones such as the ability to sit, crawl, and walk. The research seeks to analyze possible postural changes and the increased incidence of injuries. The hypothesis raised was that the prolonged use of baby walkers may delay motor development, instead of positively stimulating it. Objective: To investigate critically and comprehensively the impact of the use of baby walkers on the child's motor development, with the aim of providing relevant and updated information for parents, health professionals, and educators. Methods: This is a literature review study, carried out based on articles indexed in the Capes portal database, the Virtual Health Library and Pubmed. The bibliographic search was carried out in 2024, using the following search terms: "baby walkers", "development", "gait", and "postural control". The following inclusion criteria were defined: scientific studies that addressed the topic, made available in full, published in the last ten years and written in Portuguese and English. The resulting database consisted of sixteen scientific articles. Results: After evaluating the articles and conducting a bibliographic review with analytical reading, eight articles were identified that address the impact of baby walker use on children's motor development. Conclusion: Based on the scientific studies analyzed, it is evident that, contrary to what many parents think, baby walkers do not help children walk earlier and may even delay the development of essential motor skills. The studies showed that the use of these devices hinders muscle strengthening, balance, and motor coordination. Another issue is that walkers place the child in an incorrect position, which can lead to orthopedic problems, such as toe walking, bow legs, and shortening of the Achilles tendon.