More than 9,000 American children are injured every year by baby walkers, study finds

Changes in safety standards have resulted in a sharp decrease in the number of babies injured when using baby walkers. According to a study published Monday in the journal Pediatrics, more than 9,000 American children are injured using the devices.

According to a study published Monday in the journal Pediatrics, between 230 and 6776 children under 15 months were treated for injuries related to baby walkers.

More than 90% of incidents resulted in injuries to the head and neck, and the most common cause of injury – 74.1% – was falling on the stairs. Other causes of injury include falling of the walker and proximity-related injuries, such as a child pulling or touching an object that he / she can reach in the aircraft.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has called for a ban on baby walkers. He suggests parents throw walkers home and entertain their children in fixed activity centers and other activities. According to the AAP, the devices have no developmental benefit and pose a risk to children. Other countries, such as Canada, completely prohibit the sale and manufacture of baby walkers.

One of the authors of the study, Dr. Gary Smith, said he's been interested in breastfeeding injuries since he started his medical education 30 years ago. As an emergency physician and pediatrician, he treated wounded babies using walkers.

The document states that in 1997, some voluntary safety standards were put in place, such as the requirement that "baby walkers must be wider than a standard 36-inch door or have a braking device if or more wheels fall stage. In 2010, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission made these standards mandatory and stricter.

"We have tried to give a summary of what has happened over the past 25 years to this source of injury in young children and to examine the effect of the 2010 change that has transformed safety standards for children. walkers in volunteers. standard to a mandatory standard, "said Smith, director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.

The last baby walker study was done about 10 years ago, according to Smith, and she wanted to update the literature on the subject in the hope of being able to make recommendations. on the future of baby walkers.

Data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System was used to calculate the number of children injured when using a walker over 24 years of age. In the four years following the adoption of safety standards, marchers' injuries decreased by 22.7% over the previous four years, when the standards were voluntary. Although injuries from falls decreased, the study found that other causes of injury increased slightly (2.3%). Smith and his co-authors say the change is partly due to changing security standards, but they can not just attribute it to that. Other factors, such as the number of walkers in homes and the slow disappearance of older and more dangerous walkers, could also be contributing factors.

Dr. Tiffany Fischman, a California-based pediatrician, also recognizes public awareness of the decline in these injuries. However, she thinks potential buyers should be aware of the risks.

"I think people think they're cute and fun," she said. "In theory, all you can do to keep your child busy while you're trying to get things done is great," Fischman said.

Despite the improvements made since standards became mandatory, Smith and his co-authors continue to see about 2,000 children treated each year in emergency rooms, often for serious injuries such as skull fractures. They support the AAP's position on the walkers.

"Despite the successes we've seen," said Smith, "these are still a source of serious injury to children that can be prevented, and therefore, they should not be on the market."

Like Smith and PAA, Fischman believes that devices that do not allow young children to move are safer.

"Why do not we love them? It's because these children are not yet able to move themselves, "she said," they do not have the judgment to say, "Oh, I should not get started, I do not should not be stairs. "