More than 9,000 children injured each year by baby walkers, study finds

Baby walkers could offer babies freedom, but doctors warn of the dangers they possess.

According to a new study published in the Journal of Pediatrics, changes in safety standards have reduced the number of babies injured while using the devices, but more than 9,000 children are injured each year with baby walkers.

Between 1990 and 2014, approximately 230,676 children under 15 months of age were treated for injuries related to infant walkers, according to the published study.

Over 90% of incidents resulted in head and neck injuries 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 that parents throw the walkers home and entertain their children in fixed activity centers and with other activities.

The devices have no developmental benefits and create a risk for children, according to the PAA. Other countries, such as Canada, completely prohibit the sale and manufacture of baby walkers.

The document states that in 1997, some voluntary safety standards were put in place, such as a requirement that "baby walkers are wider than a standard 36-inch door or have a braking device if one or several wheels fall on the edge of a milestone. "In 2010, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission made these standards mandatory and tighter.

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

The latest baby walker study was done about ten 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 subject. Future of baby walkers.

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.

"People think they're cute and fun," she said. "In theory, everything you can do to keep your child busy while you're trying to get things done is a good thing."

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

"Why do not we love them? It's because these kids can not even move on their own," she said. "They do not have the judgment to say," Oh, I should not go into that, I should not go up stairs. "

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