Question

When a baby is four months old, parents often start training them to stand with support under the armpits. Now, the baby can stand very steadily and doesn’t like to jump around. However, elders believe that starting to stand too early may lead to O-shaped legs, and they are unsure how to handle this situation. What are the guidelines we can follow?

Answer

There is still some time before it’s usually recommended to let the baby stand, which is around 7 or 8 months old, as by then the baby will have learned to crawl and may start to learn how to walk. If a baby starts walking too early, it may harm their vision. This is because a newborn’s vision is not yet fully developed, and crawling helps the baby see things in front of them more clearly, promoting visual development. Conversely, starting to walk too early makes the baby work hard to adjust their eye’s refractive power and focus on distant objects, which can cause visual fatigue and potentially harm their eyes. Additionally, strong outdoor light can also damage a baby’s eyes. Outdoors, ultraviolet and infrared rays can directly Irradiation into the baby’s eyes, potentially leading to symptoms such as retinal damage and conjunctivitis. Therefore, it is recommended to let the baby crawl indoors and avoid starting to walk too early in order to protect the baby’s eyes. Wishing your baby a healthy growth!