I am probably the  most nagging forum administrator in MyMomsBest forum.  No to this, no to that.  The [tag]baby walker[/tag] is one of the no-no.  We always discourage the forum members not to get one and to forbid their respective babysitters to use it.

I had personally seen how my nephews and nieces fell from different level floors when they were babies.  Therefore, getting a baby walker for my son is definitely a big NO when my mom asked for it.  (she took care of my two eldest sons).

Parents, please do read this and get that baby walker out of your house asap.  I had seen a baby scaled by hot soup when he reached the dining table using the baby walker.  So, don’t use a baby walker.

“Baby walkers are not safe, and nothing short of a complete ban is good enough for Canadian children,” said Dr. Bob Issenman, President of the Canadian Paediatric Society. “There is no reason that another baby or child should suffer as a result of these dangerous products.”

Children placed in wheeled baby walkers are at serious risk of injury, including burns, head and spinal injuries and fractured arms and legs. Walkers are not safe, even if the home has baby gates at the tops of stairs. Babies who are in walkers can move very quickly; and the force of the baby hitting the gate with the walker can cause the gate to release. (source)

And another one:

Child Accident Prevention Trust (capt) is a national charity committed to reducing the number of children and young people who are killed, disabled or seriously injured as a result of accidents.

Accidental injury

Accidental injury is one of the leading causes of death among children and young people and puts more children in hospital than any other cause.

I have been given a baby walker but don’t know whether to use it because friends have told me they can be dangerous. What does capt advise?

Capt advises parents not to use baby walkers. They give babies mobility, speed and height that puts them at risk of serious injury. Research has shown that baby walkers cause more accidental injuries than any other type of baby equipment or furniture. Studies from abroad have even suggested that one in three babies who are put in a baby walker will be injured as a result. Some parents want to use baby walkers because they think they help to teach children to walk. Paediatricians have repeatedly stressed that this is not true. In fact there is increasing evidence to suggest that baby walkers may delay normal child development. Rolling, sitting, crawling and playing on the floor are all important stages in developing strength and learning to walk.

Remember that baby walkers are not like playpens. They give babies freedom rather than constraining them.

(more FAQs found here)

Originally posted 2006-07-04 02:45:24.