When you get things for a baby, don't buy a walker with wheels; if you want the baby to sit and play, switch to a stationary play station or a playpen without wheels

Cost

Free, and you save the cost of a walker. A play station or playpen without wheels is bought separately, or can be borrowed. The hard part is throwing one away when an older relative gave it or you already bought it.

What you get

In the U.S. from 1990 to 2014, emergency room visits for injuries from walkers among children under 15 months were estimated at about 230,000 (23万) (exact value 230,676). Of these, 90.6% were injured on the head or neck, and 74.1% fell down stairs while in the walker. 4.5% of the injured were admitted to the hospital, and of those admitted, 37.8% had a skull fracture. The U.S. has had a mandatory safety standard for walkers since 2010. In the 4 years after, the average yearly number of injuries was 22.7% lower than in the 4 years before. But the authors say walkers are still an important source of injury to children, and one that can be avoided. A 2001 position statement of the American Academy of Pediatrics says that in the U.S., 34 deaths linked to walkers were reported from 1973 to 1998. Warning labels, public education, adults watching nearby and stair gates have all been shown not to prevent these injuries. Walkers have no clear benefit either, so the Academy calls for a ban on making and selling walkers with wheels, and recommends stationary play stations without wheels instead. The Academy's note for parents says that in most walker injuries an adult was right there watching. A child in a walker can dash more than 3 feet (about 0.9 meters) in 1 second. On whether walkers help a child learn to walk, the Academy's position is that they do not, and may even delay it. The evidence that they delay walking is not firm. In an Irish survey of 190 infants, children who used walkers walked independently about 3 weeks later on average (61.12 weeks versus 58.14 weeks). The more they were used, the later. But this was a one-time questionnaire survey with no assigned groups. A small review in 2002 found two randomized trials, and neither showed a clear effect on when walking started. Pooling the four studies, it was 11 to 26 days later, and the study quality was low in all

Notes

Canada has banned the sale, advertising and import of walkers since April 7, 2004. Used ones may not be sold at flea markets and garage sales either, and for ones already at home the official advice is to take them apart and throw them away. The current Canada Consumer Product Safety Act lists them as prohibited, and no one may make, import, advertise or sell them. No ban was found in China; baby walkers are made under the current national standard GB 14749-2006. The standard covers the product itself, and cannot keep a child from rushing toward stairs. In the U.S. since 1997, walkers have to be either wider than a doorway or have a brake that grips at the edge of a step, and the Academy still considers that not enough. A child sitting in it can reach higher, and can pull down a tablecloth and spill hot coffee, grab a pot handle on the stove, or fall into a pool or bathtub with the walker. The Academy suggests three alternatives: a stationary play station without wheels (with a seat that turns and bounces), a playpen, and a high chair. When you take the child to a childcare center or someone else's home, also check that no walker is in use there. For the order in which to get big items, see §20.11 (for big items, think in the order borrow, buy used, buy new).

Evidence grade

B : Supported by research but without a precise number, or based on small or single studies.

Sources

1. Sims A, Chounthirath T, Yang J, Hodges NL, Smith GA (2018). Infant Walker-Related Injuries in the United States. Pediatrics, 142(4), e20174332. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2017-4332
2. American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Injury and Poison Prevention (2001). Injuries Associated With Infant Walkers. Pediatrics, 108(3), 790-792. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.108.3.790
3. American Academy of Pediatrics (2022). Baby Walkers: A Dangerous Choice. HealthyChildren.org. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-home/Pages/baby-walkers-a-dangerous-choice.aspx
4. Garrett M, McElroy AM, Staines A (2002). Locomotor milestones and babywalkers: cross sectional study. BMJ, 324(7352), 1494. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.324.7352.1494
5. Burrows P, Griffiths P (2002). Do baby walkers delay onset of walking in young children? British Journal of Community Nursing, 7(11), 581-586. https://doi.org/10.12968/bjcn.2002.7.11.10889
6. Health Canada (2004-04-07). Minister Pettigrew announces a ban on baby walkers. News Release 2004-15. https://www.canada.ca/en/news/archive/2004/04/minister-pettigrew-announces-ban-baby-walkers.html
7. Canada Consumer Product Safety Act (S.C. 2010, c. 21), section 5 and Schedule 2 item 3. https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-1.68/FullText.html
8. 全国标准信息公共服务平台. GB 14749-2006 婴儿学步车安全要求. https://std.samr.gov.cn/gb/search/gbDetailed?id=71F772D7639DD3A7E05397BE0A0AB82A

Translated from the Chinese original. Original book, section 20, tip 15. This section is about health and medicines. It is general information, not a substitute for a doctor’s diagnosis or prescription. Content may be out of date and rules differ by place. When you actually deal with an agency, a doctor or a court, follow what local officials, doctors and lawyers tell you. Disclaimer