Baby walkers

As health professionals we would like to see baby walkers banned from sale.

Q. Why don't you like baby walkers?
A. Baby walkers are associated with more injuries to infants than any other type of nursery equipment. In 2002 over 2,350 babies in the UK went to hospital following an injury sustained while in a baby walker. Almost 70% were under a year old. One third of all babies using a walker will be injured.

Q. What type of injuries do you mean?
A. Falls, the walkers can tip and baby can be thrown down steps or stairs. They can crash into sharp corners or fall on fires or hot stoves.
Burns and scalds. As well as the risk of falling against something hot because the baby can reach higher objects there is an increased risk of scalds due to the child pulling hot liquids down onto themselves.
Research from a hospital in Wales showed a quarter of babies aged 6-12 months in hospital with burns or scalds had sustained these injuries while in a baby walker. Many of these injuries were to the face and head.
Poisoning. The baby can acess things which previously they couldn't reach. An Australian study found baby walkers were the second most common factor associated with poisonings in children under 1.

Q. But I thought they would help my child's development.
A. This is untrue. There is a body of evidence that shows they DELAY development. Rolling, sitting and crawling are the building blocks for walking. They can actually cause problems, eg muscle shortening, destabilisation of the hips, tiptoe walking.

Q. Aren't they a good place to keep my baby occupied while I'm busy?
A. No. If anything a baby in a walker needs a greater level of supervision. Baby walker accidents happen very quickly and an American study showed in 70%of accidents the child was allegedly being supervised at the time.

Q. I thought new modifications had improved these problems and new walkers were safe to use?
A. This is unsupported by the evidence. There has been no reduction in the number of accidents.

Ask us for more information or collect our free handout from clinic if you would like to know more. Better still why not ask your MP about getting these dangerous items banned from sale.
(Our thanks to the Child accident prevention trust for use of their statistics)