INFANT WALKERS
Please do not use baby walkers for your infant. Baby or infant
walkers, which consist of a circular top, a feeding tray and a base with
wheels, may appear to be a safe and simple device to keep your infant occupied and let him or her them explore, but are actually the most dangerous toy in your nursery.
In 1994 the US Consumer Product Safety Commission stated that baby walkers are responsible for 23,000 emergency room visits annually with
1,000 of those requiring hospitalization. The most common injury caused by
baby walkers are falls down stairs which account for 18,500 injuries
annually. Between 1989 and 1993, there were eleven deaths attributed to
walkers.
Over the past ten years the American Academy of Pediatrics, of
which we are all members, has tried to ban the sale of baby walkers. We
have not been successful yet, but our colleagues in Canada have been
successful in convincing their government to ban the current version of
baby walkers with wheels. In the US we have seen the development of
popular walker alternatives such as the exersaucer and the infant
treadmill.
In 1995, Infant Walker sales in the US were estimated at over 3
million. Studies at that time showed that between 55% and 92% of infants
between 5 and 15 months of age used walkers. Parents use walkers for many
reasons but are unaware of the dangers to which they are exposing their
children. Parents give various reasons for using walkers including keeping
the infant quiet and happy, to encourage mobility and promote walking, to
provide exercise and to hold the infant during meals.
There is no evidence that babies who use walkers learn to walk
early. To the contrary, studies have shown that infants use different sets
of muscles for getting around in walkers and that walker use deters
crawling and may delay early walking. If the infant can get around in
their walker they do not have an incentive to crawl or walk.
The most common injury seen with walker use is head injury. This is due to falls down stairs or tipping over. Even if your stairs are
gaited they may fail when bumped into by a moving walker. Walkers may tip
over on uneven floors, carpet edges or raised thresholds. The severity of
head injuries in walker falls is due to the exposure of the head above the
walker. While the rest of the body is shielded by the walker the head is
left unprotected and can hit the floor with full force. Skull fractures
commonly result from walker falls.
Other common walker injuries are burns which account for 5% of all walker related injuries and poisonings. These result from the walker
enabling the baby to reach up onto tables and countertops. Infants less
than nine months old have a tendency to grasp at objects to explore them.
Burns have resulted from babies in walkers reaching and grasping cords of
hot appliances or containers of hot liquids.
There are now good alternatives to walkers. The exersaucer is a stationary seat in which the child can spin around and play with toys
that are attached to the tray in front of them. The treadmill is also
stationary and allows the child to run on a revolving tread. If you have a
walker or are given one as a gift, please return it to the store with this
article.
Go back to the Main Page