Introduction
A baby walker is a device that has circular framed wheels with seats mainly for babies who have not learned to walk yet. The parents do not know that the use of baby walkers has proved unsafe, which is why the sale of baby walkers was banned in Canada. According to a study conducted for the Journal of Pediatrics, it was seen that between the years 1993 to 2014, more than two lakh and thirty thousand children who were less than fifteen months old were taken to the emergency departments for treatment because of injuries due to walkers and the majority of these injuries happened due to children falling down the stairs while they were in their walkers. These injuries generally were those of the head and neck, which are potentially dangerous. Not just falling off the stairs, but when in walkers, children can get their fingers trapped or even pull things on themselves, injuring themselves, or could grab dangerous sharp objects that generally stay out of their reach. Falling out of the walkers can hurt them too. Even the toys attached to the baby walkers can potentially hurt the babies.
What Is a Baby Walker?
Multiple baby products like baby push walkers have been introduced to help babies stand upright and learn how to walk. Many types of baby walkers are available and they can be purchased online. Baby walkers are different from all the other devices because they have specific characteristics that are totally different. Baby walkers consist of baby seats on rolling wheels that are movable. Babies move these with their legs while sitting before they start walking without any support. Baby walkers somewhat allow the child's feet to touch the ground so that they can move forward.
Why Do Parents Prefer Using a Baby Walker?
Parents are the only people on earth who would want the best for their children, but still, they prefer to choose baby walkers for their children because they think walkers will help their babies learn to walk faster. In reality, parents are unaware that walkers delay their baby's independent walking. This is because learning to walk is all about learning how to pull to stand, maintain balance, and take steps without support. If babies are put in walkers, they do not learn to walk independently. Instead, they learn it if put on the floor and given something they can pull up, like a couch or a caregiver. Babies, on the other hand, enjoy being in a walker. Right from the age of six months, babies try sitting upright and love to be in a mobile state so that exploring things can be easy for them. Other things can be done to keep them seated upright, like stationary standers. Also, constant supervision is mandatory in this phase. It is a myth that walkers provide security.
What Makes Baby Walkers Unsafe?
Nowadays, parents are super conscious about their child's safety, so they have stopped using baby walkers. Back when baby walkers were popular, getting injured while using a walker was a prevalent thing that doctors used to see in the emergency section of hospitals. Most were fifteen months of age or younger. Some people think using walkers is fine as long as the children are under their parent's supervision, while the reality is that children can get injured within seconds, and most injuries happen even if their parents are watching them. Parents need more time to respond before accidents involving baby walkers happen.
Ways How Baby Walkers Can Be Hazardous
There are several ways in which baby walkers can injure babies. The most common ones are :
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Getting Injured from Falling Down the Stairs - The majority of cases of falling down the stairs while being in their walkers. Over seventy-four percent of the injuries that were reported were from falling down the stairs. While a child is in a walker, they can move quickly, so they might fall down the stairs even before their parents reach out to them to help them. These injuries often lead to head and neck injuries and broken bones.
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Burns - When babies start exploring using a walker, they reach some places that only a walker can help them reach. While being in a walker, the elevated level helps reach the babies certain things that might be harmful to them. So the chances of them reaching something hot or boiling increases, increasing their chances of getting burnt. The list ranges from hot foods, boiling fluids, radiators, stove handles, and space heaters.
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Drowning - This is the most significant point of concern since babies quickly move from one place to another using walkers, so drowning can also happen. Drowning can happen in pools, bathtubs, and even toilets. It is not uncommon for babies to fall into pools or tubs while being in walkers by reaching and falling in.
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Reaching Dangerous Objects and Medications - Baby walkers make it more likely for babies to collide into kitchen cabinets or walls. Babies also, at times, call for drugs or other unsafe objects and put them in their mouths which leads to dangerous situations.
Some Safe Alternatives
It is natural for parents to use things like baby walkers as the baby gets close to walking. Parents can take their children to play yards since those are safe areas. Baby play dividers can be used to block off dangerous areas in the house for the baby to move around safely. Even push walkers can be used since these do not contain body seats with wheels. Push walkers like push cars and wagons can also be considered good alternatives to baby walkers if they are strong enough.
Conclusion
Baby walkers help the babies move around, especially those babies who have not started walking on their own. It is often hard to understand what babies enjoy and if that thing is harmful or harmless for them, but baby walkers are proven to be unsafe and should not be used under any circumstances. If parents have any questions regarding the alternatives to the baby walkers, it is suggested to consult with a pediatrician. A pediatrician will also help parents understand the baby's developmental milestones and walking skills.
