Should I or Shouldn't I buy an Exersaucer??

[WooChx]

I'm really on the fence about this. I know there are pro's and con's. Any thoughts?

[brittone2]

I'm a pediatric physical therapist, and I don't recommend them. I also don't own one. (DS is almost 12 months).

If you look in the archives, there are tons of posts on this, probably many from me ;) Basically to summarize, a walker or saucer will NOT help your child walk sooner. In fact, in a normally developing child, if anything it may cause them to hit milestones later (including sitting, pulling to stand, cruising, and walking). There have been several studies done on this, including a well-designed twin study (one twin in the walker, one not) which is the best kind of study you can have really.

Standing in something like a saucer does not encourage the child to use his/her abdominal, gluteal (butt), or leg muscles in the same way that "active" standing (such as holding onto a piece of furniture does). This has been confirmed through EMG studies (electrodes hooked to muscles). When babies stand in the saucer,they tend to adopt a lordotic posture (sway backed). It can also encourage tip toe standing and several other abnormal movement patterns.

The differences would definitely be more pronounced in a child who has motor delays of any type. I would *absolutely* refrain from putting a child w/ any motor delays in a saucer or walker.

Being in the saucer, with a large tray, blocks the baby's visual input. They cannot see their legs and their body, and this can have a negative impact on proprioception/kinesthesia, which basically are "body awareness" senses. Some studies have even linked saucer use to decreased fine motor skills and decreased cognitive skills because the child has less varied experiences while in the saucer.

That said, if you feel you really do want to buy one, the recommendation is generally no more than 20 mins per day. Most pediatricians aren't very aware of the downside of saucer use unfortunately. I got interested in the topic while in graduate school doing an internship. The therapist I was working with was very "anti saucer" and her husband, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon, was also "anti saucer." We developed a pamphlet to hand out to parents about the negatives of saucer/walker/jumper use (yes, jumpers have the same effects and can be even more dangerous). The pediatrician who had an office below ours asked me to do a bulletin board for his well baby waiting room. He was one of the only docs I've encountered who knew much about the topic.

I know many people will say they used one and their child didn't suffer any ill effects, and that is probably true. But it is important to know that they don't *help* development in any way, and they may hinder it. Even if your child hits their milestones on time or early, they may have been even earlier without the saucer, kwim? If you think you can do without one, then you also end up saving yourself quite a bit of $$ and have one less huge plastic item in your home.

A playpen or play yard is a much better alternative for those times when you need to shower, make dinner, etc. and need a relatively safe place for baby to play. Floor play is the best way to help a child develop their motor skills, and it doesn't cost anything but time from mom :)

I don't think parents are "bad" parents for buying and using these items. We all need a shower, I understand ;) But I think most people aren't aware how quickly time adds up in them...10 mins here, 20 mins there, and the child easily ends up in there for an hour or two each day. Of course, the way they are marketed, most parents assume they are somehow helpful to their child's development. I just like to make the point that they aren't needed, and they can have downsides to them.

Okay, off the soapbox. I'm sure there are many mamas who really found theirs valuable, but don't feel like your child needs one.

[kaitlinsmommy]

I got dd a saucer when she was 6 months old and it almost never got used. She was already crawling & couldn't stand to be restrained in it. I'm saving it for #2 and hope it gets a little more use. I never thought it was that important but I know that some kids are definitely entertained in them and it's always nice to get a short break.

[Roleysmom]

If this means anything, DD hated it. I feel like it was a big waste of $60.

Paula -- mom to Roley Julia, January '02

[egoldber]

I never had one (didn't want one) and never missed it.

[betsydenny]

My daughter LOVED her saucer. And now my son is really liking it as well. I know there are concerns and neither have spent hours but I will say that they spent more than 20 min a day in it. That said DD who is now 2 crawled and walked normally and never had any problems. DS is only 5 months old so isnt crawling yet, but I find it a wonderful break and opportunity to do soemthing without him attached. He isnt a big fan of tummy time and being on his back is only fun for so long. The saucer gives him a chance to be upright and at the same level as his sister who is running circles around the house. She interacts with him when he is in it and I think it is great.
It is obviously your decision, but I couldnt live without our saucer!

[Laela]

DS has the baby einstein exersaucer and he really likes it. It's a nice break for him from being on the floor all day! (He is currently 4.5 months.) I only put him in there when I want to eat a sandwich, maybe 10-15 minutes a day, and not every day. I don't expect him to learn how to walk in it - it's just fun!

[geochick]

My ds loved his from early on. We used it in moderation (less than 10 minutes each day), but it provided my ds with entertainment while I showered for months and months. I will definitely use one in moderation with future kids. For us the goal wasn't to teach baby to walk or stand...just to have a place to put baby for a few minutes. Good luck.

[bchafin]

My DS started in one at 4months and loved it. He is now 9months and walking, so no developmental delays here. That said, I don't think I would get another Exersaucer brand. It was too short lived. Some friends of ours have one made by Graco and it looks great. It works like a regular Exersaucer now and then when they get bigger it splits in half so they can stand at it independently. It seems like it would last much longer.

http://www.gracobaby.com/catalog/product.aspx?modelNumber=4658SID&CategoryID=6

See if this link to the Graco website works so you can see what I mean.

Good luck.
Barb

[lilycat88]

We have an older model that isn't as fancy as the ones available now. Someone passed it down to us otherwise, we weren't planning on buying one. She LOVES it. Even though Susanna didn't spend more than 20-30 minutes a day in it, it's now been completely banned until she shows more interest...ANY INTEREST... in rolling over, crawling, etc. She's 7 months and it's hard telling if those 20-30 minutes were detrimental in any way but at this point we don't want to exacerbate anything.

[papal]

Never had one, never needed it. If they are not ready to 'stand' yet, I would not recommend saucers, walkers, the things that hang from doors and make them bounce etc.

[whittyanne]

Well I guess I'm in the minority here but I was really glad for mine. I always limited DS's time in it and he loved it. He didn't crawl or walk late or anything (was pretty much average) and when he was first crawling, I liked having it as a place to put him if I had to run to the bathroom, run upstairs or whatever. And he really did love it. He hasn't been in it in months but up until recently he was still playing on the outside of it. For us, it was definitely worth it.
One of our friends has the exersaucer that is the step and play piano, if I had to do it over again, I'd buy that only b/c it lasts so much longer (you can take the seat out and then when they are walking they can "step" on the piano and make music)

[mamicka]

I'm not a professional in this area but I just wanted to give my 2 cents. Let me first say that I did buy a "saucer" type thing but DS never liked to be in it, I think he spent a total of 30 minutes in it altogether. He did like to play with it while not in it, though. We have the kind where the child can walk in a circle.

Since I bought it, I stumbled on an article that talked about a possible link between these kinds of things (saucers, jumpers, bjorn-type carriers, etc) & spine problems that can be hidden until adulthood, particularly spondololysthesis. There wasn't any proof, just speculation, but it caught my attention because my DH has spondololysthesis. We aren't sure how he developed it but all the drs. we've seen agree that it could go back as far as baby-hood. He didn't show any signs of it until well into adulthood & he has the mildest kind, but it can be VERY debilitating.

Anyway, not trying to convince anyone of anything, just telling my "story". I won't put any future children in the saucer just because it's a risk I don't want to take. But I know a lot of people who swear by theirs & if it works for you, go for it.

Maybe you can borrow one from a friend to see if you child even likes it?

Allison
DS #1 6/03
DS #2 expected 4/05

[lisams]

We got one and DD was ho-hum about it. It was nice to put her in while I was going potty or getting dinner ready at the stove, but she wouldn't tolerate more than 10 minutes of it. So it did come in handy and she enjoyed it for very small amounts of time, but if I were to do it all over I would either have borrowed one or bought one second hand. They are way overpriced in my opinion!

Oh and it was used the most when DD was learning to pull up and was cruising - she would walk around the outside of it playing with the toys, and was so excited she could do that while holding onto the edges of it, so for that I guess it was kind of worth it!

Lisa

[Sarah1]

It's so interesting to me that so many other kids didn't really like their saucers--Audrey LOVED her ultrasaucer. LOVED it. She was in it probably 3-4X a day for 20 minutes at a crack. It was the key to my sanity for quite some time!!!!!

[WooChx]

WoW!!! Thanks for all the great feedback!! I think I will pass on this. I would like to get something for DD though. I have a $100 gift cert to the Baby Zoo (BRU) and I want to get her a worthwhile gift. I guess, I'll just hold on to it until something strikes me.

Thanks Again!!

[jamsmu]

Similar to a Exersaucer, the Step-N-Play piano is awesome!! It allows for kids to actually walk and move. And you can take the seat out so that it lasts for years. (4 year olds play with it. And all the kids at playgroup LOVE it.)

That said, we also love the exersaucer. It was my only way to shower. That's all I used it for, but it was a great 15 minutes.

[kaismommy]

I was against it orginally, but when my son was 4 months old,he always wanted to be moving. The exersaucer was a chance for me to eat a quick lunch or dinner. He was never in it for more than 20 minutes a day, but I felt like it really saved me until he was able to really crawl around on his own. He loved it. We only used it for 2 months - but it was worth it! Oh, and he started walking at 9 months also. I definitely agree that it isn't something that should be used for long amounts of time, but 20 minutes a day is fine. And it can make a big difference in your sanity.

[jackieb]

I was searching exersaucers and read your reply. Do you know anything about the Intellitainer from F.P.? Seat rotates 360 degrees and they can walk back and forth in a contained environment (no base)to stand on. A little bit like a walker, but 2 of the sides are open so child can maybe see his feet/legs? Let me know if you've heard of them.

[shannonG]

I was really on the fence about this as well. I had read all of the negatives about it and decided against it until ds was 5 months old. Then I knew I needed something different for him as he was interacting more with toys and the ones on his bouncy seat were always too far out of reach for him to grab. He was never a "tummy time" baby...I encouraged it, but he would just cry. This was the answer. My hang up was spending the money and then having him grow out of it in a couple of months. We got it for him at 5 months old and he's now 8 months old and still loves it. Now that he's pulling himself up he plays with the toys on it as he stands from the outside of the saucer! We bought the $99 dollar one...it's called "smart steps"?? or something from evenflo. I think it's their new one. I thought I was stupid for getting the most expensive one at first but I think the little extras have really kept his interest longer than the other cheaper models. All in all, it comes down to personal choice. I'm not sure that the studies against saucers are conclusive. I'm glad that I was informed of the possible risks and made my own educated decision. I don't keep him in there for long periods of time...just a break, shower, dinner, things like that. Also the Fisher Price Piano activity center seems great. I might have gotten that one except for we live in an apartment right now and it's pretty big and doesn't collapse. So, I thought for storage reasons it wouldn't be a good choice for us. Good luck!!!!!!

[brittone2]

I'm not sure if you are asking me the question or the other PP, but a lot of the postural concerns related to saucers/walkers would apply to the Intellitainer as well in my opinion. From a physiology standpoint, it is pretty much all the same...what it boils down to is "walking" while suspended/supported by the seat is problematic, no matter how it is done, as it doesn't engage the muscles in the same fashion that active standing (such as holding onto a couch) or true walking or cruising. This can set up muscle imbalances and postural problems down the road.

Let me know if you have any other questions, and if your message wasn't directed to me, my apologies...just disregard ;)

[lilycat88]

Beth,
You've posted responses before to some of my posts about Susanna's delays. We are set to have our case conference tomorrow night for our state's 0-3 early intervention program. I'm still trying to get my arms around the issues that Susanna has and am confident that she was catch up. One thing that stunned me, though, was some feedback we got from the physical therapist doing her evaluation. We do have an exersaucer and although she didn't spend a lot of time in it, we completely cut off any use of it at about 6 months until we had the evaluation. As the therapist was giving us things we could do to work with her until we actually start her therapy, she gave us some "floor" things and also said that having her a walker or exersaucer would be good for her since she needed to work on strengthening her quads. We were so stunned by the whole "delay" thing that using the exersaucer as a "good" thing sort of blew right by us. We are having her spend some time in one now (on the lowest setting so she has to push up using her legs) and I think we're actually already noticing some difference. A few weeks ago, when we would hold Susanna's hands and have her "walk", she would drag her right leg and lift her left to take steps. We noticed this weekend that she is now taking "steps" with both legs. This is one issue we're going explore much more with the therapist on Thursday but I was sort of intrigued by the differences in opinion.

[brittone2]

I emailed you Jamelin :) Let me know if you don't get it. I sent it from my DH's computer so it is his email addy in case it is confusing :)