Infant Walkers Aren’t Helping Your Baby Walk Sooner — and May Actually Be Slowing Them Down

Key Takeaways:

• Walkers can delay motor development and increase risk of persistent toe walking.

• Walkers can be dangerous with high injury risk.

• Walkers can limit exploration and learning.

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If you’ve ever seen a baby zipping around in a walker, you know how cute and exciting it looks. Parents would often tell me they think walkers will help babies learn to walk faster, and strengthen their legs all while keeping them safely and happily entertained. But here’s the truth: infant walkers aren’t doing your little one any favors — and they can actually be risky for development and safety.

Let’s discuss why experts recommend avoiding walkers and what you can do instead to help your baby get moving in healthy ways.

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1. Walkers Can Delay Motor Development

A walker is supposed to help babies walk... but what actually happens is the opposite.

When babies use a walker, they move by pushing their toes against the floor rather than using the proper muscles they need for walking. This can:

• Strengthen the wrong muscles (like the calves instead of the thighs and hips)

• Prevent babies from learning balance and coordination

• Delay the natural sequence of crawling, pulling up, cruising, and walking

Research shows that babies who spend lots of time in walkers walk later than babies who practice on the floor. They are also more likely to exhibit persistent toe walking.

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2. Walkers Can Be Dangerous

Even with supervision, walkers can lead to serious injuries. Babies can move faster in their walker and that means a fall down the stairs or a bump into a hard surface can happen before anyone can react.

Common walker injuries include:

• Head trauma from falls

• Burns from reaching higher surfaces (like stoves or hot drinks)

• Finger injuries from pinched or trapped hands

In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has called for a ban on the sale and manufacture of infant walkers because of the high risk of injury.

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3. Walkers Limit Exploration and Learning

When babies are on the floor, they explore, roll, reach, pivot, and crawl — all of which teach them about how their bodies move and how the world works. In a walker, that exploration is limited. They can’t feel the floor, pick up objects, or experiment with balance and gravity in safe ways.

That kind of sensory play is crucial for brain and motor development.

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4. What to Use Instead

If you’re looking for safe, developmentally supportive ways to help your baby practice moving, try these instead:

• Floor play: Give your baby plenty of supervised tummy time and floor space to roll, reach, and pivot.

• Push toys or stationary activity centers: These help babies pull up and cruise safely once they’re ready.

• Playtime with you: Holding your baby’s hands while they practice standing or taking steps is not only safer — it’s bonding time.

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The Bottom Line

Your baby doesn’t need a walker to learn to walk — they just need time, space, and encouragement. By letting them move naturally, you’re helping them build strong muscles, coordination, and confidence at their own pace.

So, skip the walker. Let your baby take their time finding their feet — safely, happily, and developmentally on track.