Exersaucer: to Use or Not to Use?

Hi S.,

I am also a pediatric PT and I love that you posed these questions. I have always struggled w/the exosaucer and giving parents guidelines. While I do believe Johnny Jumpers and Walkers should be banned from use altogether I don't feel the same way about the exosaucer. For me it fits in with all the other "containers" we have for kids. I usually recommend no more than 10-15 minutes at a time no more than two times per day. I'm interested to hear the feedback you get.

I just stumbled upon this--almost 1.5 years after you posted it. I also am a pediatric PT and a mom of 3 boys ages 4, 7, and 8. I have been a PT for 14 years but have only been in peds for the past year. I work with 0-3 year olds. One of my first clients was a premie little boy and i actually prescribed the use of an exersaucer because I personally loved them with my own children. It wasn't until about 3 months into his course of treatment that I learned that PTs, as a rule, discourage exersaucers for low tone babies. But, the kiddo actually gained strength and made gains. I would love to know what you have learned through your research. Please reply! I'm very curious!

1) We used an Exersaucer for both boys.

2) I can't recall exactly when we started. Maybe 5 months or so. Both boys loved it but lost interest at about 10 months, I think.

3) No goals. Just to let the boys have some fun. They both loved it so much. Jumping, screaming and spinning around.

4) I don't think it helped them and it sure didn't seem to hurt them. They loved it and had fun.

5) We put them in it usually when we wanted to keep them contained. Getting ready for work, making dinner. So, I'd say about 30 minutes twice a day. Max. Although, New Years Eve, my older son was in there for about an hour. He was just laughing and playing and we felt bad taking him out.

6) Doctor told us not to use the walker type. That's it.

1. Do you/did you use a device like an Exercauser or a Johnny Jump-Up with your child?
I had an "around we go entertainer"
2. At what age did you start using this item? Finish? started it with first kid at 5 months til about 9, second kid, never really
3. Why did you chose to use this item? What were your goals in using a product like this with your child? I thought it was a better option than an exersaucer because the seat was removable and then they just had the table to play with once they were totally standing up on their own. I had no goals other than a little entertainment. I didn't use it much at all, I preferred for both my kids to be on the floor playing with me or if I had a ton of stuff to do, I put them in my Ergo or sling to get things done.
4. Do you think it helped? Harmed? your child. I didn't use it enough to do either.
5. How long each day did your child spend in all devices combined (like, add up 30 minutes twice daily in an Exercauser, plus 10 minutes in a Johnny Jump-Up) I couldn't even tell you how long, very little.
6. Did your pediatrician encourage or discourage using items like this? She never asked. I got discouraged from it after finding out how bad Bjorn's were for their hips and back and I realized it was the same "hanging" motion in an exersaucer than it was in a Bjorn. Never used it after that! Plus, I just didn't like to leave my kids to play on their own at that age. I preferred to be with them or carry them. I didn't use a Johnny Jump up or Jumperoo or walkers either. THis stuff also takes up so much space! I did use the swing quite a bit in the first 6 months of my son's life. It was the only place he napped for those first 6 months, there and in a sling. Never left them in carseats either, they never would have put up with that! My kids tend to fall on the high-need spectrum and expect to be held more than a lot of kids! And I was always happy to oblige!!!

Cool topic to bring up! I'm interested to read more responses.

1. Excersaucer, all three kids
2. 6m, 3m, 4m starting 9m, 5m and continue to, respectively.
3. It was a shower gift, looked entertaining and first daughter loved it. 2nd hated it. mt son loves it...no goals, just an entertaining "drop zone"
4. It keeps him happy and mama sane so...helps?
5. 1-2 hours daily
6. didn't discuss it.

We tried out two different ones, never used either. My daughter hated them. I was just looking for something I could stash her in safely for a couple minutes while I ran to the bathroom, answer the door, whatever. This was maybe around 6 months old? I don't remember, I think she hated the confinement. Sorry if this isn't helpful.

S.,

Here's my best answer, used it for two kids and plan to again with our third.

1. Exersaucer - the kind that moves, but does have breaks on it. No risks of falling down the stairs in our house.

2. Used it when the child could sit upright without any risk of banging face on "table". (Don't recall exact age, more a developmental stage.)

3. Wanted to have a contained way to help baby sit, propped up and strengthen legs, say while I cook dinner.

4. I don't think it harmed my children, I think it helped with leg strength. However, I do know people who think it hurt their kids. I was told by a nurse-relative to ensure there were no risks of falling down the stairs, and to always make sure that the height for the seat was set so the child's feet can touch the floor flat. That due to the femoral artery, you don't want to cut off circulation. Also, that if the seat is not low enough it teaches the kids to walk tip-toed instead of starting to learn how to support themselves using their whole foot.

5. Again, don't have a firm # here since it was several years ago, however I'd say no more than 30 mins a day.

6. Don't recall Ped. having an opinion. Like I said, I read/heard the pros and cons (as listed above). We knew them and always kept our adjustable seat low for our kids. We only moved it up after they clearly could stand and sit with both feet firmly on the floor.

We never owned a Johnny Jump Up.

I hope this helps.

Sara

We used the jumperoo, when my dd was around 8m, but no longer than 30-min per day, per my pediatrician and a pediatric physical therapist (friend). She stated that they are seeing quite a few toddlers that are coming in with displaced hips/low back pain from the baby bjorns and too much time in the exersaucers, b/c it does displaces their hips and such. We want them to grow naturally. I also had her barefooted to build the muscles in her feet, when it wasn't too cold. She is an amazing little athlete now! Hope that helps.

J. W. MPH, ACE-CPT
Chicago Examiner Family Health Expert
http://www.examiner.com/x-7158-Chicago-Family-Health-Exam...

My brother gave me the exersaucer thing he had for his daughter since she was 2 or 3 already. My daughter was about 4 months old I wasn't going to buy one just because they cost so much. My d loved it. It kept her entertained. She spent anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour or so in it depending on her mood. It let me do dishes or whatever else I needed to get done. I mentioned it to the doc and was just told to make sure she also got her tummy time and floor time as she starting getting mobile. We probably stopped using it around 8 months, maybe 9 months only because she didn't want to be in it anymore. She would stand outside it and play with the objects. With my first kids I never had a walker since I would have needed 3 of them but I did have a doorway jumper thing. They didn't care for it and I didn't bother buying one this time around. I don't think it harmed my daughter at all since she didn't spend all day in it. She is not a tip-toer and was right on schedule-or ahead of schedule if you want to go accordng to the books that are out there-for all mobile development.

I used a Baby Einstein jumberp/exercauser with my daughter starting when she was about 5 months old. I didn't really have any "goals" for the prodcut. I wasn't expecting it to help her learn how to stand quicker or anything like that. I used it mostly b/c it had a lot of fun toys on it and she liked bouncing up and down in it and playing with the toys. It really excited her and added some nice variety to her day during the period when she wasn't really good at sitting up yet and hadn't yet learned to crawl. :0) And it gave me a few minutes of hands-free time.

I allowed her to stay in it until she got bored with it or for up to 15 minutes at a time--whichever came first. She usually only played it in it once a day although if i had to run to the bathroom or do something in the kitchen, i might set her in it for just a few seconds/minutes at a time.

She started losing interest in it around 8 months of age when she started becoming really good at crawling. She is now almost 10 months old and standing, so she doesn't sit in the exercauser/jumper anymore although she will hold onto it from the outside and play with the toys on it.

Overall, I think the exercauser helped her b/c it helped her to be content and comfortable with playing by herself for a little bit of time. I don't think it harmed her in any way. Never brought up the topic with our peds, so i'm not sure what he thinks of it.

hope this helps.
J.

1. Do you/did you use a device like an Exercauser or a Johnny Jump-Up with your child?
Yes, I use both.

2. At what age did you start using this item? Finish?
We started around 4 months and are still using it at 8 months, but rarely.

3. Why did you chose to use this item? What were your goals in using a product like this with your child?
To allow my child to sit up and play when he was not physically ready to do so (not able to sit up on the floor).

4. Do you think it helped? Harmed? your child.
I don't think it did either. I use it in moderation and my child enjoys the ability to see out in the room. Especially since he has an older brother to watch.

5. How long each day did your child spend in all devices combined (like, add up 30 minutes twice daily in an Exercauser, plus 10 minutes in a Johnny Jump-Up)
From 4-6 months probably 30 min in each 2x a day. Currently at 8 months about 15 minutes a day.

6. Did your pediatrician encourage or discourage using items like this?
She didn't ask. He has no physical delays so there was probably no need to ask, plus this is my 2nd child so...she actually didn't ask for my first child either though.

Hope that helps ;)

EDIT: I don't have the jumper-roo thing you were talking about. We have this
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=298434...
Not sure if they are the same or not.