About 15,000 babywalkers are in use in the Republic if the proportion of babies found to be using them in the study - 54 per cent - is representative of usage.
Complaints by consumer and health bodies over the years that using babywalkers increases the risk of injury seem to have had relatively little effect on parents.
VTech, which has been manufacturing the First Steps Plus babywalker for six years, sold 500,000 of them in the UK in that period. The company, which says its feedback from parents contradicts the latest findings, was unable to supply figures for the Republic, but the trend here is unlikely to be dramatically different, judging by the research findings.
Previous Irish research by Dr Marie Laffoy (now director of public health with the Eastern Regional Health Authority) showed that many parents believed babywalkers were beneficial to their child's development.
Paediatricians, however, have been sceptical about this, and in 1997 the European consumer body BEUC cited independent scientific research "which indicates that babywalkers do not help children to learn to walk".
The research published today adds a new dimension to the issue, Mr Dermott Jewell, chief executive of the Consumers' Association of Ireland, said yesterday.
"The focus had been on the safety of the walkers," he said. The finding that aspects of the baby's development were delayed meant parents should ask themselves what they need a babywalker for.
VTech robustly defended its product. It said: "VTech conducts extensive consumer research across all its products, including the First Steps Plus, and parents have consistently reaffirmed the benefits of the product to the development of their children's walking and have full confidence in the product.
"VTech's policy is to ensure that all products are tested to European standard and the company carries out risk assessments on all products and continues to develop and improve products in response to consumer feedback."
Between 14,000 and 15,000 babies are born in the Republic each quarter. Babywalkers are commonly used for children between six and 12 months of age. Today's research suggests that about half of all babies in the age group use the walkers, which can range from relatively plain products to very attractive walkers equipped with toys.