Topics : Injury - Preventing Home Accident - Baby walker

Group : Paediatrics

Is baby walker necessary?

What is baby walker ?

Baby walker consist of a circular top, a feeding tray and a base with wheels. It is one of a very
popular device among parents with small kids in Malaysia.
A simple device that parents thought can keep their child occupied and explore new things by
themselves . It appears very safe to be use by children but the reality is it it the most dangerous
toy at home . Although it is fun to see the infant suddenly more mobile and placing a child in a
walker is sometimes a virtual babysitter, the device can increase the childs chances of injury. The
infant can become more mobile before developmentally ready to be more mobile. This can place
the child in harms way prematurely.

What most parents thinks of baby walker ?

- Baby will be safely entertained while they perform other tasks

- Child can learn faster to walk
What actually baby walker gives to babies ?
i. Extra speed (as if giving them A Ferrari!)
ii. Extra height

How serious is baby walker related injury ?

In 1994 the US Consumer Product Safety Commission stated that baby walkers are responsible for
23,000 emergency room visits annually. Among that 1,000 requiring hospitalization.
In one of a study done in Singapore titled Infant walker use, injuries and motor development. Injury
Prevention. 1997 Mar;3(1):63-6 stated that 167 (90%) of 185 infants used walker regularly and 21
(12.5%) of the users had one or more injury.

In Canada, the sale of baby walkers has been banned since 2004 with a fine of up to 150,000
Canadian dollars and/or 6 months imprisonment for non-compliance.

Disadvantages
The most common injury caused by baby walkers are head injury due to falls
i. fall down stairs
ii. tip over
iii. fall out
iv. Crashing into furnitures
Other common walker injuries are burns which account for 5% of all walker related injuries and
poisonings. As the baby gets extra height it made them easy to reach to other household hazards
such as standing fans and grasping cords of hot appliances or containers of hot liquids.

Other than home accidents baby walker can delay the childs developmental milestone .It also
increases risk of some orthopedics problems such as developmental hip dysplasia. This is a
condition causing the hips to be out of socket. Another condition which may be caused by use of
infant walker is Shortened Achilles tendon that lead to toe walking.

Should parents buy a baby walker ?

No ! They should not !

Any alternatives ?

i. Exersaucers - stationary seat in which the child can spin around and play with toys that
are attached to the tray in front of them.

Reference
1. American Academy of Pediatrics. Injuries associated with infant walkers. Pediatrics. 108, No. 3
September 2001.
2. Garrett M, McElroy AM, Staines A. Locomotor milestones and baby walkers: cross-sectional
study. British Medical Journal 2002: 324: 1494.

3. ECSA/ANEC. 2010. Baby walkers: joint position statement. European child safety
alliance/ANEC.
4. DiLillo D. Damashek A, Peterson L. Maternal use of baby walkers with young children:
recent trends and possible alternatives. Injury Prevention 2001; 223 227.