Hope that baby walker came with a gift receipt. That present you got — which probably looks like a mini table on wheels with a seat set inside the frame — is a serious safety hazard for your sweetie.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has called for a ban on the manufacture and sale of baby walkers with wheels. What’s more, the AAP urges parents to throw out any walkers they may already have (and that includes the one you receive if you are unable to return or exchange it).
Why are walkers bad for babies?
Baby walkers have caused a substantial number of injuries, prompting the passage of certain safety standards in 1997. Manufacturers began making walkers wider so they’d have a harder time fitting through most doors. Walkers also got brakes that automatically stop them when one wheel drops lower than the other three — for instance, when a walker starts to roll off the top of a step.
But even with these changes, baby walkers still pose major risks, like:
Serious injuries
A tot in a walker can still tumble down the stairs or roll into sharp edges. She can burn herself by touching a hot oven or pot handle as being in a walker makes it easier for her to grab things you thought were safely beyond her reach.
And since a wee one in a walker can move more than 3 feet in one second, even keeping a close eye won’t guarantee she’ll stay safe. In fact, most walker injuries happen when adults are nearby but just can’t catch their cuties as they whoosh into harm’s way.
Less time spent learning how to walk
Spending hours and hours in a walker may have another downside. Research has looked into whether or not babies who spend too much time in walkers learn to crawl and walk at a slower pace than tots who roam free, but evidence remains inconclusive.
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However, other research does show that babies who get plenty of practice being on all fours, pulling up to a stand and exercising the brain and body muscles they need to balance on their two tiny feet are going to have a leg up when it comes to learning how to walk.
So if you do swap your baby walker for a stationary activity center or jumper (which lets your little mover and shaker get a different view while rotating, tilting and bouncing), limit your tot’s time in it.
Remember that as soon as she’s able to crawl, cruise, scoot or walk on her own, that’s your cue to ditch the contraption and give your munchkin free range to master mobility on her own two feet (or hands and knees).
Happy (and safe) trails to your tot,
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