Baby Walkers, walking rings

The Child Accident Prevention Foundation recommends against the use of walking rings. Every year numerous babies are treated for injuries sustained due to the use of walking rings.

Roll down the stairs – which can cause broken bones and head injuries. This is how most children get hurt.
Get burnt – a child can reach higher when in a walker. A cup of hot coffee on the table, pot handles on the stove, fireplace, or space heater are all now in baby’s reach.
Drown – a child can fall into a pool, bathtub, or toilet while in a walker
Be poisoned – reaching high objects is easier in a walker.
Pinch fingers and toes – by getting them caught between the walker and the furniture.

Most of these injuries are not because the walker itself is dangerous, but only that it makes your child more mobile, which can cause injuries if your house is not well childproofed. After all, your infant is not going to get burnt or poisoned by the walker. Instead, using a walker, he can get to and knock over a hot cup of coffee, pull something off the stove, get too close to a fireplace or grab something poisonous out of a cabinet.

No. It is generally believed that infant walkers don’t help your kids learn to walk sooner than if they did not use a walker. In fact, one study, Effects of baby walkers on motor and mental development in human infants, concluded that ‘walker-experienced infants sat, crawled, and walked later than no-walker controls, and they scored lower on development scales.

You may think a walker can help your child learn to walk. But, in fact, walkers do not help children walk sooner. Also, some babies may get sore leg muscles from spending too much time in a walker. Most walker injuries happen while adults are watching. Parents and other caregivers simply cannot respond quickly enough. A child in a walker can move very quickly in age seconds! Therefore, walkers are never safe to use, even with close adult supervision. Make sure there are no walkers at home or wherever your child is being cared for. Childcare facilities should not allow the use of baby walkers.

Most importantly, that means making sure your home is childproofed and keep the walker away from stairs, your pool and parts of your home that are not childproofed.

Many parents don’t think about childproofing until their child is crawling or walking, but if you are using a non-stationary walker with wheels, then your infant is going to be mobile and you have to get things childproofed, including:

Placing covers on electrical outlets and latches on drawers and cabinets.
Prevent poisonings by keeping household cleaners, chemicals and medicines completely out of reach.
Removing furniture with sharp edges or use of padding or guards on sharp corners.
Removing heavy objects and breakables from low tables and shelves
Do not carrying hot liquids or food near your child and not allowing your child near stoves, heaters or other hot appliances (especially curling irons)
Lock rooms (with a childproof lock or door knob cover) that are not childproof and the exterior doors of your house so that your child can’t get out of the font door or into the garage, or backyard without help.