Baby walkers are widely used around the world because many parents think they help promote independent walking, keep babies amused and provide some form of exercise. While it sure is fun for the baby to zoom around in a walker, the increased mobility and speed can be disastrous.
Because of that, Health Canada banned the sale, advertisement and importation of baby walkers in Canada in April 2004. The move was lauded by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), which has been urging the US government to ban baby walkers since 1995. No ban ever took place. Instead, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has been promoting new safety standards for baby walkers.
While many new generations of baby walkers are safer than older models, they still come with risks. Parents who wish to buy baby walkers should learn all about baby walker safety as well as seriously consider the following facts before hitting the store.
Numbers of Injuries Linked to Baby Walkers
A 2003 survey by Safe Kids Canada, the country’s national injury prevention program of the Hospital for Sick Children, and top baby product manufacturer Johnson & Johnson found that 1000 babies were injured every year as a result of using baby walkers. Things seemed even worse in the United States. The AAP said that in 2001 alone, over 6000 children were injured in baby walkers though the figure was reduced to 3200 in 2003, largely due to new safety standards promoted by the US CPSC.
Types of Walker-related Injuries
Baby walkers cause more injury than any other baby products. According to Safe Kids Canada,
- Approximately 85% of baby walker injuries are caused by falls down the stairs.
- Serious head injuries are twice as likely to occur if a baby falls in a walker compared to a regular fall down the stairs.
- Burns and poisonings also occur because the increased mobility and speed allows babies in walkers to reach dangerous objects that would otherwise be beyond their reach.
Sandy Jones and Werner Freitag, authors of Consumer Reports’ Guide to Baby Products [New York: Consumer Reports, 2001], list even more hazards. They add that babies turn over in walkers that are snagged by cords, door thresholds and carpet edges, fall over concrete curbs, or tumble into swimming pools.
They also warn parents to be wary of the old-style x-frame walkers handed down by friends and family and or still sold in garage sales. “These designs have been responsible for many injuries, including finger amputations when a baby’s hand got caught in the closing x-joint of the frame – such models should be discarded,” they stress.
No Developmental Benefits Using Baby Walkers
Contrary to popular belief, baby walkers do not help in child development. In fact, researchers from the University College Dublin found that baby walkers delayed the development of locomotion – raising the head, rolling over, sitting with support, sitting alone and walking alone. The researchers compared the ages that babies reached these targets with and without baby walkers and they concluded that baby walkers actually slowed the development in young children.
In addition, babies in walkers are propped up with their knees and hips bent, resulting in them walking on their toes. This in turn causes tight calf muscles and may turn the babies into habitual toe walkers eventually.
In short, baby walkers do more harm than good to their young users. They are a major cause of injuries and do not promote any child development. So the best option is not to use them at all. The AAP has another practical suggestion – use stationary activity centers instead of wheeled baby walkers.
Found this article useful? Read also Shopping for Baby Products and Essential Items in the Nursery.
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