When researching whether Bumbos are safe, I found some information questioning the safety of jumpers/bouncers. So, I dug a little deeper. I want to know if baby jumpers and door bouncers are safe for my child.
What Are Jumpers and Door Bouncers?
I’m not talking about knitted jumpers or reclined bouncers/rockers. Jumpers and door bouncers are popular options for occupying babies. They support the child in an upright position and allow them to jump or bounce a little by pushing off the ground with their feet. They come in two main versions:
- Door bouncers that are suspended from a doorway like this.
- Jumpers that have their own, standalone, self-supporting structure like this option, called a Jumperoo.
But for the sake of this post, they serve the same purpose and the safety concerns are the same. So, from here onwards, I will refer to them both as upright bouncers.
Why Do People Use Upright Bouncers?
Upright bouncers have long been praised for increasing leg strength, improving hand-eye coordination and giving babies a little independence. But they also allow parents to get on with other things while their baby is focused on bouncing and playing. The appeal is clear.
Are There Any Safety Warnings In The Sales Info?
Across a range of websites, I found a few warnings. Here are a few I found:
- Suitable from when Baby can sit up unaided.
- One sign that your baby is ready to use their jumperoo is that they are able to hold their head up without any assistance. They should be able to keep it up on their own for more than a few minutes at a time.
- Never leave child unattended.
- If the upright bouncer has wheels, assist the child over thresholds or carpeting.
This is all helpful, but it doesn’t cover the more concerning warnings I found.
What Are The Claims?
It seems the claims that an upright bouncer can strengthen a baby’s legs are correct. But, similar to a Bumbo, I found some claims that using an upright bouncer can cause stunted development, weaker back muscles and hip problems.
So, is there enough information to suggest you should avoid using an upright bouncer?
Guidance
As I mentioned in the Bumbo post, controlled studies for this type of thing are unlikely. But there does seem to be some substantial information out there and guidance from official sources.
I found explanations from paediatricians, chiropractors and other specialists who clearly state that an upright bouncer could do some harm. This included the developmental, back and hip problems I mentioned.
The NHS offer advice (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 bouncer.
It seems that some of the most important areas for physical development in newborn babies are back and neck strengthening, postural alignment and healthy hips. Baby jumpers and door bouncers could hinder these key areas of development.
Do You Need To Panic If You’ve Been Using A Jumper?
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 upright bouncer and you don’t want to give it up, maybe just start using them less and make sure you don’t leave them in there long. Also, give your child plenty of time to wriggle around on their front and back to build up those back and neck muscles.
What We’ve Decided
Although clearly, massive numbers of parents have used upright jumpers without problems, this information is coming from sources that are worth listening to. The potential benefits seem dwarfed by the possible downsides.
We’ve actually been given a Jumperoo for free by some friends. But, we’ve decided we aren’t going to keep it. If Burt had spent the day at Nana’s house and we found out they’d been in an upright bouncer, we wouldn’t panic. But we just don’t want one in our house.