Should I Buy My Baby a Baby Walker?

By Julia Youll

Putting a baby in a walker is like giving a teenager a Ferrari – a dangerous risk. That’s why, as of April 2007, Canada has banned the sale of baby walkers.

UK data suggests, however, that more accidents and injuries happen in baby walkers than with any other form of baby equipment. This is because they give babies extra speed (a baby can reach up to one meter per second in one zoom), extra height and access to multiple hazards.

Baby Walker

Most injuries are caused by falls when the baby walker tips and the baby is thrown downstairs or crashes into furniture, heaters or ovens. There is also an increased risk of your baby being burnt by previously inaccessible objects, such as candles and hot cups of tea. Thirdly, it allows her to reach household poisons, such as perfume, mouthwash or alcohol, left at a previously safe level.

Most people believe that when a baby is occupied in his little ‘wagon’, he is safe and can be left unsupervised for short periods. In reality, extra vigilance is needed when your baby is in a baby walker and your baby would be safer left on the floor in a hazard-free room.

Walkers won’t help your baby learn to walk and in fact, using one too much may even delay her development slightly. A baby needs to roll, crawl, sit and to play on the floor, in order to reach her developmental milestones.

In spite of the worrying statistics, an outright ban on walkers could be unrealistic. Some experts feel they should be designed only for babies over nine months of age who are already sitting and crawling, and are limited in the speed that they can travel. It is compulsory for customers to be given clear safety guidelines when buying a baby walker.

If someone suggests a walker for your baby consider alternatives or, better still, let her exercise on the floor in the good, old-fashioned way.

You may want to check out my other guide on Stand and Sit Stroller and  Baby Stroller – How Product are Made

Tags: Baby Walker