This one is for all the mums and dads with babies.
I’m sure you’ve heard someone say their Jolly jumper is the best thing they have purchased for their baby as they have the ability to cook dinner with two hands now.
Despite the convenience of the jolly jumper, it’s not as great as it’s made out to be, and could be doing more harm than good in relation to your baby’s development.
A jolly jumper takes a baby from a horizontal position where they typically spend most of their time as a baby and puts them into a vertical position where gravity comes down on their body.
A jolly jumper is a device designed for babies where they sit in a harness that is attached to bungy cords and bounces up and down off the floor. Sounds fun doesn’t it..? and well, it usually is for babies.
But Despite how fun it may be when a baby is in the jolly jumper, it is a known fact that jolly jumpers affect babies’ development. The reason being is because It puts an unnecessary load on the lower back because the child is in a vertical position prematurely.
PLUS when they hit the ground it can prematurely aggravate their spines early on by putting unnecessary stress at an unnecessary stage of development.
In recent years we have found that prolonged use of a jolly jumper has reduced motor development scores of a child, although there is more we should be worried about.
Using a jolly jumper encourages muscle imbalances, as it stimulates muscles that are already working hard, hip flexors for example. It forces the baby/child in a sitting or upright position long before their developing spine and nervous system are ready.
While the baby is bouncing, they are encouraged to bounce on their toes, further encouraging the baby to walk on their toes, this then tightens calf muscles and affects their ability to learn how to walk. Looking at the altered hip position (while seated) in the jumper, also influences a change
in muscles kids normally use to walk.
So for now, if your baby is not sitting yet, the best place for them is always on the floor. Here they can engage in natural mobility while on the floor and play while they work their way up to standing, crawling, and eventually walking when they are ready.
Tummy time is such an important activity a newborn can do, to strengthen the baby’s core muscles. This helps develop their postural muscles as the extensor muscles or more commonly known as the back muscles.
Tummy time can help with coordination, muscle imbalances, and reflexes. Tummy time ensures babies achieve development stages such as rolling and crawling. Encouraging your children to sit early or walk early, can lead to further problems down the track. So let’s not compare our babies with other babies and let them all develop naturally. Enjoy the time we have with them before they start moving all over the place and getting into all sorts of things in all kinds of places.
So if you have any other questions about the development of children and their spine, maybe you want to ask questions about other products on the market for babies please leave a comment below and I’ll do my best to answer your questions as quickly as possible.
Have a watch of the video below, where Dr Andrew talks about his opinion of jolly jumpers!