Re: [SPAM] Do Exersaucers and Jumpers make tort worse?

[Guest guest]

I've heard several reasons why

Exersaucers/s/Jumpers are bad for babies:

- it's bad for the tort because they don't evenly balance

their weight and they'll shift to their strong side and use that more than

their weaker side. Tort kids already develop muscle strength unevenly in

such that the tort side is tighter and usually stronger than the opposite side

which is often weak. This is the cause of some tort kids developing a C curve

posture or elevating one hip (pelvic tilt) and to some degree raising the

shoulder. The exersaucer allows them to avoid developing the trunk muscles

evenly by the child not having to maintain its own balance using the trunk

muscles. Therefore, the strong muscles get stronger and the weaker

muscles remain weak

- all that jiggling around while trying to keep the body

upright puts a lot of stress on the neck and can exacerbate the tort

- it usually forces them to stand on their toes, and this

messes up their perception of standing/balancing because when they learn to

stand, they are supposed to do so flat footed, not on their toes

- What therapists are finding nowadays is that more and

more babies are " standing " earlier due to the cycle of back to sleep/

exersaucers/jumper toys, etc. and this promotes *excessive* extension

(straightening of body) and doesn't allow normal flexion (bending of body,

development of abdominals) to occur in the early months of life (1-4 or so).

It's a Catch 22 - you want to keep them off their head to

avoid plagio but the devices to keep them off their heads are bad for the

torticollis. Even years ago with my oldest son (non-tort baby) I heard that the

exersaucers weren't great for their hips - puts too much stress on them.

Molly

Novato, California

Nicolas, 2.5, tort & plagio, STARband (CIRS Oakland)

4/24/06-9/12/06, Graduate!

, 5.5

, 8.5

From: Plagiocephaly

[mailto:Plagiocephaly ] On Behalf Of Chanda Mama

Sent: 23 September 2008 12:16

Plagiocephaly ; Torticolliskids

Subject: [sPAM] Do Exersaucers and Jumpers make tort worse?

Hi All

I was browsing Internet for some dos and donts for a baby

with tort and plagio. I read quite a few places that Exersaucers and Jumpers

make tort worse because they put lot of stress on baby's weak

neck muscles. What do you think? Were you ever asked by any of your

PEDs,PTs, or any doctors to limit or completely avoid these?

My son loves bouncing in his Jumporee . I hate to stop him

playing in it . But I also want to make sure what I am doing is not making

his tort worse.

Thanks

Chanda

[Guest guest]

Our physical therapist said that they were bad. She says that babies start out with very tight back muscles and very week core stomach muscles. The tort makes it even tighter on one side. So the exersaucer and jumpers just strengthen the back muscles and reinforce the ones that are causing the problem and the goal is to strengthen the front and arms and shoulders. So they should be doing tummy time.

Though I agree that it would seem better to have them off their heads, and babies will only do so much tummy time.AliceMaggie (tort and plagio) Hangar still working on helmet (6 months)Owen (6 months)

On Tue, Sep 23, 2008 at 6:55 AM, Foley, Molly <mafoley@...> wrote:

I've heard several reasons why

Exersaucers/s/Jumpers are bad for babies:

- it's bad for the tort because they don't evenly balance

their weight and they'll shift to their strong side and use that more than

their weaker side. Tort kids already develop muscle strength unevenly in

such that the tort side is tighter and usually stronger than the opposite side

which is often weak. This is the cause of some tort kids developing a C curve

posture or elevating one hip (pelvic tilt) and to some degree raising the

shoulder. The exersaucer allows them to avoid developing the trunk muscles

evenly by the child not having to maintain its own balance using the trunk

muscles. Therefore, the strong muscles get stronger and the weaker

muscles remain weak

- all that jiggling around while trying to keep the body

upright puts a lot of stress on the neck and can exacerbate the tort

- it usually forces them to stand on their toes, and this

messes up their perception of standing/balancing because when they learn to

stand, they are supposed to do so flat footed, not on their toes

- What therapists are finding nowadays is that more and

more babies are " standing " earlier due to the cycle of back to sleep/

exersaucers/jumper toys, etc. and this promotes *excessive* extension

(straightening of body) and doesn't allow normal flexion (bending of body,

development of abdominals) to occur in the early months of life (1-4 or so).

It's a Catch 22 - you want to keep them off their head to

avoid plagio but the devices to keep them off their heads are bad for the

torticollis. Even years ago with my oldest son (non-tort baby) I heard that the

exersaucers weren't great for their hips - puts too much stress on them.

Molly

Novato, California

Nicolas, 2.5, tort & plagio, STARband (CIRS Oakland)

4/24/06-9/12/06, Graduate!

, 5.5

, 8.5

From: Plagiocephaly

[mailto:Plagiocephaly ] On Behalf Of Chanda Mama

Sent: 23 September 2008 12:16

Plagiocephaly ; Torticolliskids

Subject: [sPAM] Do Exersaucers and Jumpers make tort worse?

Hi All

I was browsing Internet for some dos and donts for a baby

with tort and plagio. I read quite a few places that Exersaucers and Jumpers

make tort worse because they put lot of stress on baby's weak

neck muscles. What do you think? Were you ever asked by any of your

PEDs,PTs, or any doctors to limit or completely avoid these?

My son loves bouncing in his Jumporee . I hate to stop him

playing in it . But I also want to make sure what I am doing is not making

his tort worse.

Thanks

Chanda

[Guest guest]

Thank you all for your valuable input. I asked my Pt this week and she also told me to avoid these as much as possible. I have already packed up his swing, bouncer and jumper.

-Chanda

I've heard several reasons why Exersaucers/s/Jumpers are bad for babies:

- it's bad for the tort because they don't evenly balance their weight and they'll shift to their strong side and use that more than their weaker side. Tort kids already develop muscle strength unevenly in such that the tort side is tighter and usually stronger than the opposite side which is often weak. This is the cause of some tort kids developing a C curve posture or elevating one hip (pelvic tilt) and to some degree raising the shoulder. The exersaucer allows them to avoid developing the trunk muscles evenly by the child not having to maintain its own balance using the trunk muscles. Therefore, the strong muscles get stronger and the weaker muscles remain weak

- all that jiggling around while trying to keep the body upright puts a lot of stress on the neck and can exacerbate the tort

- it usually forces them to stand on their toes, and this messes up their perception of standing/balancing because when they learn to stand, they are supposed to do so flat footed, not on their toes

- What therapists are finding nowadays is that more and more babies are "standing" earlier due to the cycle of back to sleep/ exersaucers/jumper toys, etc. and this promotes *excessive* extension (straightening of body) and doesn't allow normal flexion (bending of body, development of abdominals) to occur in the early months of life (1-4 or so).

It's a Catch 22 - you want to keep them off their head to avoid plagio but the devices to keep them off their heads are bad for the torticollis. Even years ago with my oldest son (non-tort baby) I heard that the exersaucers weren't great for their hips - puts too much stress on them.

Molly

Novato, California

Nicolas, 2.5, tort & plagio, STARband (CIRS Oakland) 4/24/06-9/12/06, Graduate!

, 5.5

, 8.5

From: Plagiocephaly [mailto:Plagiocephaly ] On Behalf Of Chanda MamaSent: 23 September 2008 12:16

Plagiocephaly ; Torticolliskids Subject: [sPAM] Do Exersaucers and Jumpers make tort worse?

Hi All

I was browsing Internet for some dos and donts for a baby with tort and plagio. I read quite a few places that Exersaucers and Jumpers make tort worse because they put lot of stress on baby's weak neck muscles. What do you think? Were you ever asked by any of your PEDs,PTs, or any doctors to limit or completely avoid these?

My son loves bouncing in his Jumporee . I hate to stop him playing in it . But I also want to make sure what I am doing is not making his tort worse.

Thanks

Chanda