Pediatric Special Needs Equipment: Gait Trainers & Walkers
While special needs equipment, such as walkers, are usually associated with the elderly or infirm, there's a segment of young users who require specialized pediatric walkers. A walker for kids may be required as a gait trainer, or a safety roller with or without an integrated seat/harness or a glider walker used to give a child self-confidence as he/she is encouraged to take steps.
A gait trainer walker can be configured as a posterior unit, an anterior unit or, as in models like the Wenzelite Trekkers, either/or. Some walkers, such as the Guardian Folding Walker, are fairly simple and relatively inexpensive. Others, such as the Meywalk Gait Trainers or Miniwalk Pediatric units, can be quite high tech with special spring systems to allow the unit to travel up and down with the child's movements in order to provide a natural foot strike with each step. Whichever unit fulfills your particular requirements, you'll find that each piece of equipment offered at Preferred Health Choice is of the highest quality available anywhere.
Walkers and Gait Trainers for children are available in several styles and sizes from Toddler to Young Adult. Customizable Walkers for Children from Snug Seat, Pacific Rehab, Wenzelite.
Anterior Walker is a standard walker with the frame to the sides and the front of the user.
Posterior Walkers have a frame that goes around the sides and rear of the user. The user is in the center of the walker.
The terms Anterior and Posterior are usually used in conjunction with pediatric walkers for children. Each type has it's advantages. Although walking velocity and cadence on gait analysis show no significant difference between the two walker types, flexion angles of the trunk, hip and knee are lower on the posterior walker. The oxygen consumption rate is also significantly lower with the posterior walker. When tested for children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy, gait analysis data and oxygen consumption measurements indicated that the posterior walker has more advantages in terms of upright positioning and energy conservation than the anterior walker.
![Anterior vs. Posterior]()
