Strapped In—
The dangers of overusing strollers

By Lori Goff



It used to be that toting a child in a stroller past the age of 3 was the exception to the rule—weird, even—but it’s rapidly becoming the norm. For parents of infants and toddlers, strollers are one of those indispensable “must haves,” and many can’t imagine a family trip to the zoo or airport without one. But experts warn that once a child is able to walk proficiently, typically between the ages of 2 and 3, overusing a stroller can interfere with physical development.

Still, most manufacturers today market strollers that carry children beyond age 4, with increasing weight limits. One such company boasts that its stroller is “Built SUV tough,” with an “extended weight limit up to 50 pounds.” This is disconcerting, given that the average 50-pound child is 6 to 7 years old.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (www.aap.org) states that stroller use is appropriate for children during the infant/toddler stages, and should be reduced by the time a child is 3 years old. Pediatricians are also concerned. Dr. Naomi Neufeld, medical director of KidShape Foundation, a nonprofit weight-management program for children, says that parents’ busy lifestyles are partly to blame: “When they go out to run errands, letting their child out of the stroller to walk often takes too much extra time and effort,” she says. But, Neufeld adds, “If parents don’t allow their children to get out and explore, they are encouraging a sedentary lifestyle and promoting their child’s risk for obesity.”

Dr. Mollie Greves, general pediatrics NRSA fellow at the University of Washington, adds: “Research shows that for young children, the earlier they start being active, the more likely they’ll develop an activity pattern that will continue as they get older.”

Barbara Swenson, a parent educator, worries that children are increasingly becoming “passive observers” instead of participating in life.
“Many parents walk with their children to get from point A to point B, and don’t allow their child to veer off the path or stop to explore something that catches their interest,” Swenson says. “Children need to get out of the stroller, so they can walk and stop to smell the flowers.”
Lori Goff is a parent coach, preschool teacher, and mother of a 4-year-old daughter. She can be reached at www.pwmweb.org.