Am I causing my child harm by using bouncers? I love bouncers. The joy and entertainment they give the child. The little breaks they give me when I need one. But am I causing any harm to them physically or their development?
Potentially. It all seems to come down to how the bouncer is used. In all things moderation. When used incorrectly or excessively, bouncers can deform the head, cause spinal or muscular injuries, delay the development of important skills, and even death. All of those risks though can be significantly reduced or eliminated with proper use, so let’s work through each risk and find out how to avoid it.
There’s two different categories of risks associated with bouncers: life-threatening and long-term. The life-threatening ones are, well, the ones that cause the immediate death of the child. Long-term risks are the ones which cause long term harm to the child, but don’t place their life in jeopardy.
All this talk about the risks of bouncers might sound really scary. But don’t worry. Bouncers can be safe if used correctly. After all my research I feel completely comfortable using bouncers, but I definitely am much more cautious than I was before. I try to be mindful of the risks but well educated on how to avoid them. Once you are done reading this page I ask that you also go read my page about all the great benefits of bouncers {Add Link Here}. Hopefully that will help balance out all the concern you might be feeling after reading this.
Recommended use of bouncers
Before we talk about the risks of bouncers, it would be good to know how the experts recommend that bouncers be used. From there, it becomes much easier to identify solutions to all the risks.
A baby should be placed in a bouncer so that they remain upright and centered in the seat. They should not be able to lean forward or far to either side. This keeps the child in a position to receive the proper ergonomic support from the seat and prevents the seat from becoming unstable.
A baby shouldn’t spend long periods of time in a bouncer. The younger a child is, the less time they should spend in the seat.
A baby shouldn’t exceed the limitations of their bouncer. I encourage you to take a look at my article about long a baby can use a bouncer, since the limitations of a bouncer is an entire conversation on its own {Add link to age limit of bouncer}.
A baby bouncer should always remain on the floor, preferably a hard floor.
A baby bouncer should have its restraint checked and adjusted every time a baby is placed in it. This is no different from when you check a car seat’s restraints every time you place a child in it.
A baby should continue to be monitored while they are in a bouncer. Don’t leave your child unattended while they are in a bouncer, even if you are in the bathroom. If you must leave the child unattended, then they should go in their crib or bassinet.
With that out of the way, let’s talk about risks.
Risk of head deformation
There is a condition babies can be affected by called flattened head syndrome, or positional plagiocephaly. This is visible as a flat spot on the back or side of a child’s head. Unfortunately excessive use of a baby bouncer can cause this syndrome in a child.
A bouncer can change the shape of a baby’s head due to the fact that a baby’s head is not solid or rigid. An infant’s skull is designed to have many spaces, or soft spots, between the bones which allow it to fit through the birth canal during delivery. After the baby is born these soft softs gradually disappear and the skull becomes more rigid. This process typically takes about twelve to eighteen months. While those soft spots exist, a baby’s head is soft and capable of being deformed. When a baby sits in a bouncer, there is pressure on the back of the baby’s skull, which could lead to a flat spot on the back
Since excessive use of a baby bouncer is what causes this, then limited use is what avoids it. This isn’t only a risk of bouncers. Anything that contacts the skull and applies pressure, such as a bassinet, floor, etc., can cause this.
Risk of delayed development
Babies need the opportunity to move around and learn how to do things like rolling over and crawling. The time that our babies spend sitting peacefully in a bouncer is time that they are not learning to move. There are certain milestones in a baby’s development which everyone looks for, such as holding their head at a forty-five degree angle in month 2, or rolling onto their side by month 5. There is a significant, and many justified, fear that allowing your baby to spend time in a bouncer will take from them the time they need to learn these skills.
The solution to this is the same as for flattened head syndrome. If you limit the use of baby bouncers, then your baby will then have more time to lay on the floor, bassinet, or crib and learn the use of their legs. You should still be able to use a bouncer when needed, just don’t make it your go-to spot for the baby. Maybe use it for those times you need a break, or just as a temporary change of scenery for the baby.
All this doesn’t mean that our babies stop learning when they are in a bouncer. They can still learn to move their head and their arms, but they need your help to do this. Be sure to give them some stimulus to encourage them to reach out and play. I encourage you to take a few minutes and read my list of great accessories for bouncers{ Add link to list}. These accessories can keep your child entertained and encourage them to reach out and learn to use their hands and arms.
Risk of suffocation
The fear of suffocation is especially heightened the younger the baby is, when babies are unable to support and control their own head. Bouncer seats keep babies at an angle which could allow a newborn’s head to tilt forward or two a side and prevent them from breathing. Babies generally can’t hold their head up on their own until they are a few months old. Until this time you must keep a close eye on your child and fix their head position anytime it slides forward or to either side.
There’s also risk from the restraint straps of a bouncer. The very straps that are intended to keep your child safe can also cause them harm. If the straps are not adjusted correctly then they cannot hold your child in place. If they are not adjusted correctly, snug against the waist of the baby, then the baby can slide into a position where the straps can choke them.
The answer to all of this seems to be vigilance. Never leave your baby unattended. Always adjust their head if you see it is tilting. Never let your baby sleep in the bouncer. Always check the restraining straps every time you place the baby in the bouncer.
Risk of head injuries from falling out of seat
Baby bouncers are very lightweight furniture which can flip over if they are not balanced right. Bouncers and designed to be position on a hard, flat, and level floor with the child centered and sitting back in the seat. If any of these criteria are missing, then the bouncer could become unstable.
The surface that the baby bouncer sits on is very important. It must be the floor. Never ever a raised surface. As the baby bounces the bouncer can shift very slightly on the surface, especially if it’s a smooth counter or table, which over time could cause the seat to fall over the edge. Since the bouncer would fall sideways and all of the weight is near the top, sadly the baby’s head will likely be the first thing to hit the ground.
What flooring you have is also important. A hard surface will allow the bouncer to be more stable. Deep carpet on the other hand could cause one side of the bouncer to sit higher than the other. If the baby slides to the lower side, that could cause the bouncer to become unbalanced and tip over. Again, the baby’s head is likely the first thing that will hit the ground.
If the baby has learned how to sit up on their own, then they have outgrown the bouncer. Since the bouncer expects the weight of the baby in a specific location, a baby that leans too far forward or to either side could put too much weight on one part of the seat and cause it to tip over. Again, the baby’s head is likely the first thing that will hit the ground.
The answer to this risk is just caution and vigilance. Always keep the bouncer on the ground. Stay on hard flooring, and avoid really soft carpet or rugs. Don’t put the bouncer near stairs. Keep an eye on your baby.