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Short Report: Babywalkers Use and Age of Autonomous Sitting and Walking in Portuguese Infants
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Orientador(es)
Resumo(s)
Babywalkers are wheeled seats for infants that support their weight and allow them to move around, pushing the floor with their feet or feet’s toes. The purpose of the present study was to verify if Portuguese infants that used babywalker gained or not temporal advantage compared to infants who did not use any instrument for learning to walk. Data were obtained through a structured questionnaire for parents, with closed questions. Results revealed that babywalkers use does not afford advantages in the acquisition of independent walk. The absence of association between seat and walk autonomously in babywalker users that also used other walk-helper (e.g., harness belt) reinforces the hypothesis that the use of these equipments may disrupt normal process of transition between seat and walk in infants. Considering the sample of the present study, a great percentage of Portuguese parents still presume that the use of babywalkers or similar equipments are necessary for independent walking acquisition. Babywalkers should be discouraged as an instrument for independent walk learning, and be replaced by functional stimulation, like stepping reflex systematic practice.
Descrição
Palavras-chave
infants babywalker autonomous seat autonomous walk