Baby walkers

For additional information, contact Susan Griffith by calling 216-368-4440 or sending e-mail to sbg4@po.cwru.edu.

BABY WALKERS (running time = 1:51)

SUGGESTED INTRO: YOU MAY WANT TO RECONSIDER PUTTING YOUR BABY IN A WALKER. ACCORDING TO A NEW STUDY, RESEARCHERS SAY BABY WALKERS ARE LIKELY TO SLOW YOUR CHILD'S DEVELOPMENT. MORE IN THIS REPORT:

VIDEO: Dad plays with baby on living room floor. CU of baby. Baby explores on her own at VCR. Mom picks up baby and puts her in a walker. CU of baby's feet, then of baby.

VOICEOVER: BABIES LEARN AND DEVELOP AT A RAPID PACE. THEY ALSO LOVE TO EXPLORE. BESIDES SATISFYING THEIR CURIOSITY, THAT'S HOW THEY DEVELOP MOTOR SKILLS SUCH AS WALKING AND GRASPING OBJECTS. BUT RESEARCHERS AT CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY HAVE FOUND THAT BABIES DO BETTER AT DEVELOPING THESE SKILLS WITHOUT THE USE OF A BABY WALKER; ESPECIALLY THOSE WITH WIDE TRAY AREAS THAT PREVENT BABIES FROM SEEING THEIR FEET. STUDY LEADER ANDREA CAROL SIEGEL EXPLAINS.

SOT & SUGGESTED SUPER:
ANDREA CAROL SIEGEL,
CWRU ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF PSYCHOLOGY

VIDEO: Interview on-camera

SOUND BITE: ANDREA CAROL SIEGEL

OUTCUE: "... could see the limbs moving." (:10)

VIDEO: Long shot of baby in walker.

VOICEOVER: ACCORDING TO RESEARCHERS, A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THE WALKERS SAY RESEARCHERS IS THAT BABIES CAN'T REACH OBJECTS OF INTEREST TO THEM, AND ARE OFTEN RESTRICTED FROM OBJECTS THEY MAY HAVE DROPPED.

VIDEO: Interview on-camera.

SOUND BITE: ANDREA CAROL SIEGEL

OUTCUE: "... and motor skills in infants." (:43)

VIDEO: Baby in walker. Pan shot (parents in living room observing their daughter in walker) to baby. Misc. CU's of baby in walker.

VOICEOVER: RESEARCHERS ALSO WARN THAT WALKERS MAY BE RESPONSIBLE FOR AS MANY AS 25 THOUSAND INJURIES TO BABIES EACH YEAR, RESULTING IN HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOM VISITS; ONE REASON SOME EXPERTS ARE CALLING FOR A BAN ON THE NURSERY ROOM FIXTURE.

THIS IS TOM SHROUT REPORTING FROM CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY, CLEVELAND.

-CWRU-