Baby bouncer… Beware!
I could say this type of equipment is bad for your baby, as I’m not a big fan of it — but that’s not the point here. After all, there are children who use bouncers and still develop normally. Nevertheless, baby bouncers can have a negative impact on a child’s development… So how can you tell if your little one is OK with this?
1. Pay attention to your baby’s hands.
When babies lie on a stable and somewhat challenging surface (like a mat), they begin to build up tension along the main axis of their bodies: The torso muscles strengthen and provide them with solid support. With this core stability, babies can start to “organize” activity at the center of their bodies — joining their hands in front of their chests, lifting their bent legs above the ground, putting their fists into their mouths, and, eventually, loosening their grip and reaching for toys with their hands. In sum, the center of the body becomes stabilized, which allows the arms and legs to move more freely.
When babies lie in bouncers (which prop up their backs), they do not have the opportunity to learn how to stabilize their torsos and fully control their bodies on their own. The soft surface envelopes the child’s torso, providing artificial stabilization.
In this situation, babies, instead of building tension in their torsos, shift bodily tension outward causing their fists to become clenched. When lying down, the child will also give the impression of being “stuck” to a surface. Children can have difficulty bringing their hands closer to the center of their bodies, loosening their grip, or grasping toys. This is especially noticeable when they are put on a flat, hard surface. We, as parents, can also have trouble dressing our babies (especially when it comes to sleeves) and can experience difficulties with the child during certain daily care routines.
2. Pay attention to your baby’s feet.
From the very first days of life, the child’s feet are preparing for their ultimate function — locomotion. We are not always aware of it, but every day little feet make thousands of movements which eventually prepare them to take on a load and carry the child into the world. 😉
Ideally, the baby’s feet are already quite active from the first days of life. They move in a variety of ways and take some part in virtually every single movement the baby makes.
Babies initially kick their feet from the heels. Over time, these movements become more and more varied as babies start to lift their legs above the ground and can touch their feet together. Then, they start to play with their feet — or even put them into their mouths. Their feet also remain active when babies turn over or change position. This is all due to the fact that a stabilized torso allows for freedom of movement in the rest of the body.
But the situation may be different if babies use their feet to stabilize their frame. Then, instead of moving the feet in every direction, they stiffen them in a forced pose. Most of the time, their feet are then stretched out in line with the shin (like a ballerina) or sharply bent upwards with a poor range of motion. Such feet seem stiff and look as if their mobility is limited. In reality, the most common problems are not the muscle contractions themselves, but the fact that these babies are using their feet to gain the stability that should be provided by the torso.
This pose of the foot may also be confused with “increased muscle tension” — which is often an inaccurate diagnosis. The most common issue is not related to the amount of the muscle tension, but to its distribution.
3. Pay attention to your baby’s activity on the mat.
Properly developing babies gradually get to know their bodies — both in possibilities and limitations. A child learns how to control his or her body and how to have fun with it. At around three months of age, children start to join their hands at the centerline of their bodies, put them into their mouths, and lift their bent legs above the ground. In the following months, they start to play with their feet, experiment with side-to-side rolling, and, eventually, they turn over to lie on their tummies. This position is even more fun 😉 — it gives babies the opportunity to see everything from a different perspective. Children who are able to control their bodies well usually enjoy all kinds of activity on the mat. They play and move their bodies all around. 🙂
However, if babies find it difficult to control their own bodies while on the mat, they certainly won’t hesitate to let us know by showing us their dissatisfaction. Babies, whose poor torso stability does not allow for freedom of movement usually will use other ways of gaining control while lying on the mat.
For example:
– The child’s hands might seem to be “stuck” to the surface beneath them.
– The baby’s shoulders will be raised, making the neck appear unnaturally short.
– The little one may experience difficulty lifting his or her feet above the ground.
– The child’s fists might be clenched and the feet stiffened in a forced pose.
Oftentimes, these children can also have trouble following a toy with their eyes or reaching forward with their hands. What’s more, they usually don’t like lying on the tummy.
Problems with focusing eyes on an object may be related to the constant movement of the bouncer — which babies perpetuate with their own movements as well. Despite the fact that some people believe or even relish the idea that the baby is “exercising,” this is not the kind of activity we want to see a baby doing — especially since the baby is not able to replicate these movement patterns while on the mat.
Baby bouncers are not necessarily evil contraptions. Oftentimes they are probably helpful, but we should be aware of the fact that sometimes they do not benefit our children in the way we would like them to.
Being able to sit higher and see more of the world without getting tired — that is a really tempting proposition. 😉
The fact is the majority of healthy children who spend some time in a baby bouncer (but also spend plenty of time on the mat) will not experience any substantial impediment to their development. 😉 However, it is worth keeping in mind that not all babies should use a bouncer. Just pay attention to your child’s behavior and activity, and you will know. When you know what to look for, you will most likely be able to identify whether your child can use this type of equipment or not.
I’m sure you already have guessed that I didn’t put my children in bouncers: We trusted using the mat 100% and it turned out to be a great decision for us. 😉 In addition, as a physiotherapist, I am not super enthusiastic about this kind of equipment. I wouldn’t recommend using it at least until your baby gains basic control over his or her torso; i.e. the child can join hands in front of the body, lift bent legs above the ground, and try turning to the sides.
Despite the fact that the amount of scientific research on the use of baby bouncers is not extensive, a study published in Child: Care, Health and Development (2002), reported that infants using bouncers achieved worse results in motor skills tests when compared to infants who didn’t use this type of equipment.
The amount of time the baby spends in a bouncer is also significant. Twenty to 30 minutes a day will probably not cause any harm, but the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) warns that children who spend a lot of time in this equipment may suffer from flat head syndrome. Leaving a sleeping baby in a bouncer is not recommended.
To use or not to use?
You know my personal decision when it comes to my children. 😉
Your decision is exactly that: YOURS. 😉 Don’t get too paranoid — just watch your little one closely and pay attention to the signs that I’ve mentioned above. And if you discover something interesting regarding this topic, please let me know. 🙂
You may also be interested in:
SOURCES:
- A.L. Abbott, D.J. Barret (2002). “Infant Motor Development and Equipment Use in the Home:” Child: Care, Health and Development; Vol. 27, issue 3; 12 January 2002; pages 295- 306.
- AAP: Health Alerts: “Infant sleep positioners, bouncer seats, and more.”
