Many moms believe that a baby bouncer seat is essential baby gear. It can indeed be a comfortable and secure place to keep your baby, but are baby bouncer seats safe for your infant?
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Here’s everything you need to know about baby bouncer seats, including their safety, benefits, and how to use them.
A baby bouncer seat is also known as a baby jumper, bouncer, or exercise jumper. It is a piece of baby gear that has a seat with springs or elastic. Strap your baby in the seat and watch them play and bounce.
Baby bouncer seats are available in different styles, so it’s better to research baby bouncers and find the best one for your baby and your house. They encourage babies to stand on their toes, move their legs, and start jumping and bouncing.
As one example, stationary bouncer seats come with an external frame with an attached sling seat. The seat allows your baby to rock, bounce, or jump by pushing their legs off the floor.
Some baby bouncer seats come with a sling seat that can be attached to a door frame or hung from the ceiling, though this carries the risk of falling or collision.
A baby bouncer seat can be a fun and snug place to keep your baby. Moms often get one as a safe place to seat their baby when they want to take a quick break. Baby bouncer seats are typically used in the pre-walking or crawling stages during the first six months.
Only get a baby bouncer seat only after checking your baby’s weight, height, movement, and head control. The baby may topple over or get hurt if they’re not physically ready to use a baby bouncer.
Most babies enjoy jumping, but some may feel uncomfortable or overstimulated in a bouncer seat. Consider your baby’s reaction to the baby bouncer seat before buying one. Parents typically use a baby bouncer seat for a short span of 5 to 6 months.
Make sure you also check the baby bouncer seat age limit while purchasing. Once your baby can sit up, they may not need a jumper or bouncer. Also, the bouncer seat may not be safe once your baby grows and gains more weight. Apart from this, consider your budget and the space for a bouncer seat in your home.
To back up a bit, when babies are in the womb, they have less and less room to move as the pregnancy progresses. In the later stages of pregnancy, babies are forced to tuck their knees and hips up against their torso into what’s known as the fetal position. “Right after birth, babies tend to have a natural tightness in their knees, hips and ankles,” says Magdalena Oledzka, PT, DPT, PhD, MBA, PCS, a pediatric physical therapist at HSS. It takes several months for the joints to stretch out naturally.
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Though the research is still mixed, there may be a link between baby carrier devices and hip health. So parents need to be careful about what products they put their baby in for the first six months of life.
Because babies’ hips are still developing, the best position for their legs to be in is what Oledzka calls the “frog position,” which is when the hips fall naturally apart to the side, the baby’s bottom is lower than their knees and their knees are bent and thighs are supported (imagine the legs form the letter M).
“This will create the force necessary for the hips to develop properly,” says Julie Tan, PT, DPT, also a pediatric physical therapist at HSS. “The hip is a ball-and-socket joint. You want the head of the femur – which is the ball – to put pressure on the acetabulum, which is the socket.”
On the flip side, if babies’ legs are forced into a straight, stretched-out position for long periods of time, the ball may rub into the edges of the socket. Since the sockets are made of soft cartilage, this friction may cause them to form improperly, leading to a condition called hip dysplasia. Sometimes the ball could even slip completely out of the socket, causing a hip dislocation. What’s more, your baby won’t be bothered by either of these issues, so they could go undetected for a while.
Another concern with devices is that they may cause developmental delays. Jumper-type devices can be particularly problematic if they’re used too early. “There’s a misconception that these bouncers help strengthen babies’ legs and help babies progress to standing and walking, but that’s not actually the case,” says Tan. When a baby is in these types of devices, they’re not actually activating their muscles. “Babies bend and extend their legs as a natural reflex,” she adds.
Additionally, babies often stand on their tiptoes when they’re in these devices, which is not healthy to do for a long time. They also tend to throw their bodies backwards in the jumping motion; over time, this could lead to asymmetrical muscle strength development with more strength in the extensor muscles and weakness in the front of the body.
All of the above is not to say you should never use any of these devices. Just make sure you do it safely. To prevent injury to both you and your baby when wearing your baby in a sling or carrier, before every use, confirm that all straps and fastenings are secure and that your baby can’t fall out. Be mindful not to lose your balance, always bend at your knees (not your back) and support your baby with one or both hands. Check on your baby frequently to make sure you can see his face and that nothing’s blocking his nose or mouth. And always check that your baby’s age, height and weight meet the product guidelines.
When using these and other devices, make sure your baby can look right and left and use their limbs equally, so both sides of their upper body can develop symmetrically. And don’t overuse them. “If you need to place them in one of these devices to free up your hands for a bit, go for it, but don’t leave them there for hours at a time,” says Tan.
In addition to using carriers, make sure to give your baby plenty of playtime in non-holding devices that promote mobility, like play mats, playpens and activity gyms.
If you are concerned about hip dysplasia, Oledzka suggests that the next time you change your baby’s diaper, bring the legs close together and see if they appear the same length. Then take a look at the fat folds to see if they align. “If not, don’t panic – hip dysplasia is quite uncommon, so it’s likely not that. Just bring it to your pediatrician’s attention at your baby’s next visit.”
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