At first glance, a Bumbo might seem like a handy way to keep your child in place while you take care of a quick chore or clean a spill. However, there are claims that the cute, little seat could be a risky choice. You may have seen these claims thrown around. So, are Bumbos safe?
What Is A Bumbo?
The Bumbo is a one-piece seat, made of a “high-quality foam”, which allows for a “super comfortable infant floor seat”. You can see some pictures on this Amazon listing. As you can see, the deep seating surface and elevated leg openings recline your baby toward the centre of the rounded backrest, easing your baby into an upright position. The outer foam skin is “super easy to clean”. It also comes with a 3-point safety harness.
Because of the shape, the Bumbo is marketed to help babies sit upright. Overall, it sounds great, right? Wrong, you heathen!
Okay, you’re not a heathen. But people will shout at you online about this. Why is this so contentious and are Bumbos safe?
What Are The Claims?
I found claims that putting your baby in a Bumbo can cause stunted development and can cause incorrect postural alignment. There is also plenty of warnings not to put a baby in a Bumbo on an elevated surface. It seems there have been a surprisingly large number of infants falling out of Bumbo seats. However, after a recall of the product in 2007, the company themself now put warnings on the seats warning against this.
Although there are other Bumbo seats for older children, let’s focus on the floor seat. So, clearly, babies shouldn’t be in a Bumbo off the ground. Now onto the real question: Is there enough information to suggest you should avoid using Bumbo?
Guidance
Obviously, no scientist is going to set up a study to put babies in a potential danger seat to assess the effects. However, while the information isn’t as clear as “don’t smoke while pregnant”, there is some credible guidance out there.
I found countless paediatricians, chiropractors and other specialists who clearly state that a Bumbo could have a negative impact. This included the developmental and postural issues along with some effects on the baby’s hips.
There’s also some NHS guidance (here and here are just two examples) that specifically says to avoid them. Or, at the very least, minimise how long you leave your baby in a Bumbo.
Do You Need To Panic If You’ve Been Using A Bumbo?
I don’t think you need to panic. The NHS doesn’t give guidance for no reason and the warnings aren’t just coming from them. But if you’re child has been loving their Bumbo, maybe just start using them less and make sure you don’t leave them in there long. Oh, and obviously don’t sit them in it up on a high ledge.
What We’ve Decided
We were actually planning to get a Bumbo until I looked into it a little more. But even without statistics for how common problems arise from their use, it seems silly to buy one now. It’s a cool idea. Not every good idea is safe and successful, though. Sorry, Burt. You’ll have to learn to sit up on your own. Like a cave child.
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