Are Baby Walkers Good for Babies?
Parents believe that baby walkers are generally safe to use and that they encourage babies to learn to walk. Neither belief is true. In 1997, 14,000 babies went to a hospital due to the use of a baby walker. More than 30 deaths have been attributed to the use of a walker from 1973 through 1998, in the United States. The data collected by the European Child Safety Alliance shows 90 percent of baby walker injuries were to the head. More than 30 percent caused injury to the brain.
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A pediatrician's view
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David Geller, pediatrician, states that studies show walkers cause babies to lag in learning to walk by as much as one month when compared to babies who never used a walker. Dr. Geller also said that walkers push a baby's physical abilities before he is ready, causing a delay in the ability to control muscles. A baby needs to see the correlation between the movement of her lower body and the results the movement brings. Walkers usually obstruct the baby's view of her legs.
The American Academy of Pediatrics' view
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Babies learn to walk sooner with a parent's help. The academy does not recommend the use of walkers because of the delay in walking and the fact that walkers can be dangerous. It is its belief that parents are given the impression that babies actually have control over the walkers. The cause of some trips to the doctor or emergency room are due to babies left alone in a room while in a walker. The American Academy of Pediatrics has called for a ban on the manufacturing and selling of walkers with wheels.
A child-care employee's view
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Brenda Mahoney, former owner of Mahoney's Little Angels, says that "even walkers with safety features are involved in accidents." If walkers are used, the wheel base should be more than 36 inches wide to prevent the baby from going through doorways. Walkers are not babysitters. Babies should not be sitting in walkers if they are unable to sit up by themselves. Also, another safety problem is that parents have picked up the walker with the baby in it and the baby has fallen through the leg hole.
Possible injuries
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The article Baby Walkers: A Dangerous Choice, on the Healthy Children website, talks about different types of injuries seen with the use of walkers. The most prevalent injuries happen when the walker rolls down a flight of stairs. Because walkers allow babies to reach higher, they can pull on tablecloths --- pulling hot foods onto themselves. They can also get to space heaters and fireplaces. Babies have fallen into pools or bathtubs and drowned. Walkers can give a baby access to poisons and items that cause injury when swallowed.
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