The Exersaucer/Jumper Debate

After reading a post on Katie's blog, I was curious about the debate over whether or not exersaucers,jumpers, and walkers are really a good thing for our children's motor development. I'm just finishing physical therapy school, so I e-mailed my pediatrics professor to ask her what she thought. She said that they're definitely not good for any child who has high muscle tone (such as those who have CP), but exersaucers and jumpes are okay for most normally developing children. She said the "experts" against them feel that way because it is thought they may delay walking because the child does not get to practice postural control beyond the boundaries they are in. This would only really be a concern if your child was in one for very large periods of time though. Walkers, on the other hand, are warned against in all cases because of safety concerns. So, it's fine to use exersaucers and jumpers as an exercise activity for short periods of time when you are around to supervise; just don't ever let them "baby-sit" your children. Hope this helps!