Parents are being urged not to buy baby walkers and exercise jumpers for their babies because of the risk of injury and developmental delays.
SA Health and Kidsafe launched a campaign today to make parents aware of the dangers posed by the devices and to discourage their use.
SA Health deputy chief medical officer Dr Nicola Spurrier said it was not uncommon to see babies and children with developmental delays associated with the use of baby walkers and baby exercise jumpers, which are also known by the brand name Jolly Jumper.
"Excessive time in walkers and jumpers teaches babies to stand up on their tip toes, causing their calf muscles to tighten and affecting their ability to walk, and in some cases requiring treatment with casting or surgery," Dr Spurrier said.
"Babies miss out on valuable floor time when spending too much time in walkers and jumpers, bypassing important development stages such as rolling and crawling.
"There is also an increased risk of injury and babies have been known to tip over and even topple down stairs while in walkers.
"In jumpers, injuries can occur if fingers become trapped by the chain or springs, by bouncing into walls or objects, or if babies are pushed by another child."
'Dangerous' devices can cause injuries
The new brochure says "baby walkers and exercise jumpers are dangerous and not recommended".
Instead, it suggests baby swings or rocker chairs, activity tables, push-trolleys or floor time.
Australian Physiotherapy Association national president Phil Calvert said many parents thought baby walkers and exercise jumpers could help their child develop quicker, in fact they did the opposite.
Babies getting tightened calf muscles because of the devices needed plaster casts, which had to be changed every week for up to eight weeks, Mr Calvert said, followed by surgery if required.
"That means the baby can't have a bath, can't do normal activities, so it's a real impact on that individual family so being able to avoid that is really important," he said.
"And being in plaster cast for a period of time also has a developmental effect that we'd rather avoid "
Mr Calvert said the new brochure, poster and website would help "facilitate conversations" between families and health professionals.
Floor time the best option for babies
Kidsafe chief executive Holly Fitzgerald said floor time was "the best thing parents can do to help their baby's development" where they can learn to roll, sit up and crawl.
"Baby walkers can be dangerous because they allow babies to move quickly around the house and gain access to things that are normally out of reach," Ms Fitzgerald said.
"There is a risk of babies burning themselves if they reach hot drinks, ovens or heaters, and a risk of poisoning if they access and swallow cleaning products or medications."
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission says babies "can suffer serious injuries when unsupervised in baby walkers".
"Always keep an eye on you infant when they're using a baby walker and ensure hazardous areas in the house are blocked off," the ACCC says on its website.
Fair Trading NSW has recommended for more than two decades that baby walkers not be used.
Jolly Jumpers were invented in 1910 in Canada.
