Product Code Database
A child harness (alternative: child tether, walking harness, British English: walking reins) is a safety device sometimes worn by children when walking with a parent or carer. Child harnesses are most commonly used with toddlers and children of preschool age, though they may also be used with older children, especially if they have special supervisory needs such as ADHD or autism. Various types exist, though all are worn by the child and have a lead (tether) or rein which is held by a parent or caregiver. As child harness designs and purposes have evolved with cultural norms and parenting techniques, they have become subject to common debate.
In the mid-1950s, various local campaign groups in the United Kingdom began to recommend the use of child harnesses as part of road safety campaigns. Mind That Child, quoted in In addition to recommendations, the campaigns also focused on abolishing the thirty percent sales tax payable on child harnesses, arguing removing the tax would be "a sign that the Government was sincerely interested in the safety of young children." The debate around possible legislation for child harnesses continued into the 1960s, with the BSI Group issuing new safety standards. The "stringent specifications" sought to address the "harnesses on the market which were not sufficiently strong to restrain a bouncing baby in a pram, or to take the weight of a falling toddler," with all designs after November 1964 being subject to "rigorous performance tests" for both design and materials.British Standards Institution. (November 18, 1964). BS3785:1964 Specification for webbing safety harness for baby carriages and chairs and walking reins
Designs advanced further in the 1960s with Roland Cheetham (W.H. Cheetham & Sons Limited) inventing the first terylene webbing harness in 1961. Going on sale in 1962, the new webbing material had "a high resistance...to abrasion and moisture" with the company claiming the design was "virtually ever-lasting." The new materials were lighter than previous versions, and the company also claimed the material was more hygienic as the harness could be washed and dried in five minutes. The new design and was awarded the certificate of the Royal Institute of Public Health and Hygiene.See Product Packaging "Clippa-Safe Hygienic Nursery Harness, Model B.S. I (1962)" The design also featured improved fittings "so that the mother does not have to bother with buckles" and could "vary the size easily." The harness was sold in four different colors with a suggested retail price of twelve and sixpence.
Child harness designs remained largely unchanged between the 1970s and 1990s, the most significant change being the replacement of metal parts with plastic parts. The most notable exception, patented in 1987, was the "wrist link" or "wrist strap" which dispensed with the chest harness section, instead consisting of a length of webbing with a loop at each end. One loop secures around the wrist of the child, while the other is held by the parent or caregiver. The idea was to address how parents and/or caregivers could find it "very impractical to use one hand to hold the child at all times" and thus "leaves the parent's hands free." The wrist link/strap design was also noted to be "adaptable to children of any size or age". Other hands-free adaptions to the established designs of child harnesses were also developed in the late 1980s.
In 2005, after a largely standardized design for forty years, an alternative design for child harnesses was created which merged the basic strap elements with a soft toy. The new design, developed by Goldbug, Inc. in the United States, evolved into "a backpack...in the form of a novelty character of animal or human form" which also included a "storage pouch" with "the shoulder and waist straps of the harness representing the limbs or extremities of the character, and a tether attached to the harness in the form of a character tail." The alternative designs, which included a variety of popular soft toys such as monkeys, giraffes, and teddy bears, were developed and marketed as "Harness Buddies" Goldbug Harness Buddy and Carrier Covers to discourage any objections of a child to wearing a safety harness through providing more comfort, padding, and overall novelty.
In 2007, Scottish primary school teacher Elaine Stephen, MBE launched the Walkodile harness. The design, developed in partnership with The Design Unit at De Montfort University,Elaine Stephen, MBE quoted in was the first child harness which could be used for multiple children, allowing for two or more children to walk together side-by-side. Each child has their own simplified safety belt which can be attached to any connection point located on an extendable modular section which is located between the parallel rows of children.
In May 2014, British retailer Boots UK was criticized for its range of child harnesses as some felt the colors and designs reinforced traditional . The company sold two harnesses; a blue version with the words "Train Driver" and another pink version which featured the words "Little Cupcake" specifically labelled as a "Girls Walking Rein and Harness". After a consumer photo of the harnesses went Viral phenomenon, the retailer responded by promising to change the packaging to demonstrate their "commitment to prevent gender stereotyping."
Others contend that the safety benefits of child harnesses are minimal, or at least unknown according to studies. In 2019, Benjamin Hoffman, the Chair of the Injury Prevention Council at the American Academy of Pediatrics stated that there was no "data on injuries associated with safety leashes" and that there was a "lack information about why parents use them, and what any benefit might be," adding that "from an injury standpoint" there are potential concerns over entanglement or choking similar to the cords on window blinds and that "there's also the risk of accidentally tripping your child with the tether."Benjamin Hoffman, M.D., Chair, Injury Prevention Council, American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), quoted in Other medical professionals have also stated that certain designs of child harnesses such as the wrist link/strap maybe potentially dangerous for children as they do not provide adequate physical support when needed and also require a degree of cooperation from the child which may be intermittent.Adam Spanier, M.D., Professor of Pediatrics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, quoted in
Those who oppose child harnesses on grounds of physical health often cite the risk of injury and/or misuse of harnesses. Such concerns include how some parents or caregivers might "tug on the tether or drag the child.".Dr. Jennifer Hartstein, Hartstein Psychological Services, PLLC, quoted in Additionally, some individuals who oppose the use of child harnesses often contend they function as a "leash" to restrict movement and therefore offer negligible, little, or even reduced physical health benefits compared to children who are able to explore beyond the limits of movement which harnesses create. Furthermore, some opponents contend child harnesses operate as a substitute for rule making which can result in parents generating (albeit knowingly or unknowingly) "more freedom to be less present" and reduce their awareness of their child's behavior in "potentially dangerous places".Peggy Drexler, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Weill Cornell Medical College, quoted in
Many who oppose child harnesses view them as a tool which delays or restricts learning and mental development about rules and potential dangers. Some contend child harnesses are substitute "babysitters,"Anonymous/Unknown quoted in a way for parents or caregivers to "check out,"Niedospial, Laurel, quoted in and equate to a "short-term, Band-Aid" solution which results in parents not teaching children important safety and cultural rules. Some psychologists have argued that child harnesses limit the natural curiosity of young children and prohibit them from acquiring skills in self-control which subsequently reduces their ability to understand and respect rules as they grow older.See summary of comments by Dr. Susan Newman, Social Psychologist, in Additionally, other psychologists contend child harnesses could be a source of embarrassment for the child.Dr. Jennifer Hartstein, Hartstein Psychological Services, PLLC, quoted in
Parents and caregivers who use child harnesses often cite safety as the primary reason for doing so, fearing losing contact with the child.Clint Edwards, quoted in However, for some the use of child harnesses is only a temporary and/or reserve measure during the education and generation of trust in a child.Christine Erskine, Kidsafe Spokeswoman, quoted in Once the child has proved they have learned such knowledge "the use of the tether can be faded" showing that "when used short term and in a loving manner as a teaching tool" a harness "should not have a negative effect on the child." Some parents and caregivers also claim that the use of harnesses can be more comfortable for the child as having to raise their arm to hold their parent's hand for extended periods can be uncomfortable. Similarly, some parents argue that compared to having their child in a stroller, using a harness allows for more awareness of their child's needs or wants.Dr. Martin Ward-Platt, Development Specialist, Royal Victoria Infirmary, quoted in Sally Goddard Blythe, Director, Institute for Neuro-Physiological Psychology, quoted in Equally, some parents have also observed that their children are more positive and happier during outdoor activity when wearing a harness compared to being a stroller, and that using a child harness "has more to do with how it reflects on us as parents than how it actually affects our children." Additionally, some argue if a "parent experiences a lot of anxiety" to such an extent that "it interferes with them taking their children outdoors or on other events" if "the tether increases the parents' feelings of competence and allows the child to go places ... than tethering could be beneficial" for both adult and child.
Those who disapprove of child harnesses argue that their use can be socially degrading for children "like treating a child like a dog or an animal" which results in others possibly perceiving "a parent who can't control her toddler." Such viewpoints claim that making and enforcing appropriate rules is the primary job of the parent and a child harness avoids such responsibilities.See summary of comments by Dr. Susan Newman, Social Psychologist, in Other childcare specialists have also raised concerns over the effect on the confidence of parents and caregivers with the "worst part of using these harnesses and wrist links are the stares that you get from other people who don't understand that they are a safety precaution."Janice Robinson-Celeste, Early Childhood Specialist & Publisher of Successful Black Parenting magazine, quoted in Others have expressed similar concerns regarding how such "reactions could negatively impact a child" as well as the parent or caregiver as "the stigma from being stared at ... could play a larger role in traumatizing the child than the correct use of a tether." Some have also drawn philosophical parallels between using child harnesses for toddlers and the use of GPS and smartphone tracking apps for older children. These arguments contend that children benefit when having to solve problems alone or by seeking appropriate help, neither of which are possible if the child has a permanent form attachment to their parent or caregiver.
A new version of the standard is under preparation in the EU; it will split into Part 1 (Children’s harnesses, reins – Safety requirements and test methods) and Part 2 (Children’s harnesses incorporating backpacks and reins – Safety requirements and test methods). DIN prEN 13210-2:2019-04 – Draft Artikel für Säuglinge und Kleinkinder – Teil 2: Sicherheitsgeschirre einschließlich Rucksäcken und Zügeln – Sicherheitsanforderungen und Prüfverfahren; Beuth-Verlag, Berlin, 2019
In 2013, the European Child Safety Alliance (Eurosafe) recommended that a child harness approved to the EN13210:2004 safety standard will provide additional safety for children when using a second-hand stroller not yet equipped with a five-point harness.M.Sengölge and J.Vincenten and RoSPA
As of 2019, rule four of the Highway Code of the United Kingdom, recommends that parents or caregivers use child harnesses (reins) for very young pedestrian children when walking alongside or crossing roads as a possible alternative to a pushchair (stroller) to ensure safety.
The use of such child harnesses is sometimes recommended by local authorities in certain areas where risk and potential dangers to children are considered much higher than usual. These include areas such as mountain paths which are steep or unpredictable underfoot thereby posing an increase of slipping or falling to young children or children inexperienced walking on such terrain.
|
|
