Consumer Reports says that despite federal safety standards, the product injures thousands of babies each year, slowing, but not stopping, heartbreaking incidents for parents. calls for a federal ban on pedestrian walkers.
The consumer advocacy group’s stark warning, along with a newly released report detailing injuries and deaths caused by baby walkers, comes as a result of Canada’s investigation into serious injuries to children caused by falls of infants using baby walkers. , which was issued 20 years after baby walkers were banned.
In 2018, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) also called for a ban on walkers, saying they do not help babies learn to walk and can actually delay normal motor skills and mental development.
“One of the things that is not well understood by the general public is how fast infants can move in these walkers — several feet per second,” said James, a pediatric emergency medicine physician. Dr. Doddington told CR. “The risks are very high,” the doctor added, noting that in addition to head and neck injuries, infants can also suffer burns from touching a hot stove or accidentally rolling into a pool or other body of water. he pointed out.
Over the years, manufacturers have voluntarily tightened safety standards, but in 2010 the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission mandated that baby walkers have brakes to prevent falls down stairs. However, these measures have only succeeded in slowing the incidence of injuries, with thousands of children still being treated in hospital emergency rooms each year.
According to a 2018 study, from 1990 to 2014, approximately 231,000 children under 15 months of age in the United States were treated in the ER for infant walker-related injuries, most of which involved head and neck injuries. Nearly two-thirds of the injuries were due to falls from the stairs. A.A.P. Although injuries have decreased by nearly 23 percent in the four years since the federal safety standards went into effect, thousands of children are still injured each year.
“With no clear benefit from their use, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends banning the manufacture and sale of mobile infant walkers,” the AAP said.
According to the CPSC’s 2024 Child Care Products Report, which cites data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, an average of 2,467 children under age 5 will use a baby walker, jumper, or exerciser per year between 2021 and 2023. After that, he was taken to the ER.
Asked for comment on Consumer Reports’ call to ban baby walkers, a CPSC spokesperson said the agency’s staff “uses incident data to ensure standards continue to address product hazards.” and to the extent that staff recommends additional improvements.” If mandatory standards were established, the commission would consider how best to act on those recommendations. ”
