Canada has banned the use of dangerous baby walkers. Unfortunately, other countries have yet to do the same.

Since 1992, the American Academy of Pediatrics has asked the Consumer Product Safety Commission to do the same. But that request has been denied although the proposed ban is supported by the Consumer Federation of America, the American Medical Association and other concerned groups.

“Opponents of the proposed ban argue that stairs cause most injuries, not the walkers. But since it’s impossible to eliminate stairs, it’s advisable to stop using walkers,” said the editors of Health News.

To appease consumer groups, some manufacturers have redesigned their walkers and have come up with safety features. Still, the fact remains that many walkers are dangerous and pose a threat to your child.

If your child doesn’t have a walker, don’t make the mistake of buying one. If you decide to get one, choose a model that is too wide to fit through doorways and pay close attention to your child. In Consumer Reports’ Guide to Baby Products, Sandy Jones and Werner Freitag offer the following advice:

Remove the walker’s wheels to prevent infants from moving too fast and making them more prone to accidents.

Never leave the child unattended.

Never use walkers near stairs, steps, or thresholds. Check that surfaces are flat and free of objects that may cause tripping-over either indoors or outdoors.

To reduce the chance of the child slipping out of the seat, check that both feet of the child touch the floor, and never carry walkers with the child in it.

To avoid burn injuries, keep the child away from ranges, radiators, space heaters, or fireplaces.

Always use the walker’s restraint system.

Follow the manufacturer’s height, weight or age recommendations and stop using the walker when your child has outgrown it.

Discontinue using the walker should it become damaged or broken.

Most important, keep the child in view while he or she is in the walker.

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Henry testing out his new baby walker

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Sharon Bell -
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Sharon Bell is an avid health and fitness enthusiast and published author. Many of her insightful articles can be found at the premier online news magazine http://www.HealthLinesNews.com.

A baby walker is a very simple device. At it’s simplest, it’s nothing more than a small framework of plastic or metal sitting atop a platform with wheels on the bottom and a cushioned seat in the center. When a baby is placed inside, it helps the child to move around.

The height of the baby walker boom was the mid 1990′s. But they managed to retain their popularity until the abnormally high accident rate of babies that used them became noticeable. They have since regained some of their popularity as the industry responded to their problems by making safer baby walkers.

These devices are controversial and there are people on both sides of the issue. Some believe that baby walkers are very useful in enabling the child to move around and explore on his own before he or she has developed motor skills and coordination. Others believe, however, that the use of a baby walker inhibits the development of those very same motor skills. Still others believe that because of their new found mobility, children are able to get into troubles that they may otherwise have avoided. Troubles such has getting a-hold of potentially harmful utensils on table tops that he would ordinarily not be able to reach.

Some parents believe that a baby walker is a great time saver device as it let’s them go about their own business while their child is pre-occupied in the “mobile playpen”. However, such a belief is a recipe for disaster. If a kid is too young to be able to walk on his own, he is surely too young to be left alone in a baby walker. And hospital statistic bear that out as one of the most common injuries to babies brought in to U.S. emergency rooms are injuries related to the use of a baby walker. In most cases the injury is directly caused by the baby-walker tipping over near stairs or an uneven floor area and injuring himself in the process.

Parents who are determined to use a baby walker for their child should take certain precautions. The first is to never leave their child unattended. The second is to not use the device on a surface that is uneven and that may cause the walker to tip over. Never, never, never allow your child to be near a stairway while in his walker – this is where most injuries occur. Ensure that the walker is well constructed. And lastly, make sure that whatever walker you buy has the latest built in device safety features recommended by the government.

Studies have shown that babies who extensively use these walkers usually learn to walk at a later age than children who are not always in such devices. As a parent, you can mitigate this trend a bit by not using the walker as a crutch or baby sitter. If you feel that you do need to place your child in a baby walker, try to do it for as short of a period as possible so that he does not become dependent on it.

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Always supervise your baby when they’re in a babywalker. They could hurt themselves.

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James Fraley -
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Jill Viland writes articles on children and child related subjects. For her latest article on baby walkers please visit her web page.

First, consider how you are planning on using the walker. If you plan on putting your baby in it and leaving him/her in there for unattended periods of time, a baby walker may not be the right choice for you. Because of the mobility factor, baby walkers can be dangerous for unsupervised children-accidents like falling down stairs or falling over backwards can happen. If you want something to entertain your child while keeping him/her safe, think about getting a baby bouncer or an entertainment station instead. These are non-mobile and much safer to leave you child in for long periods of time. Though walker safety standards have improved dramatically over the past decade or so, it is still not a completely secure option.

If you do decide to purchase a baby walker, make sure the one you buy is a match for your child’s age, weight, and height. This relates to purchasing baby bouncers and stationary activity centres as well; making sure your child matches the manufacturer’s recommendations will only prevent accidents.

To cut down on the possibility of falling down stairs, find a baby walker whose frame is larger than the doorways in your home. This way, the baby has no possibility of leaving a room, and cannot wander into potentially dangerous hallways.

Also, find a baby walker whose top frame is smaller than the base. This reduces the risk of your baby accidentally overturning in the walker, since it is more balanced and less likely to fall over.

Examine the walker of your choice carefully for any sharp edges, hinges, or small pieces that might potentially cause trouble. Baby proofing your walker (or any other baby equipment, such as baby bouncers) is important; do not assume that just because it was made for babies, its baby proofed.

There are a couple of regulations that any baby walker you buy should meet. Ensure that the walker you are buying meets the Product Safety Standard for Baby Walkers and is accredited by the Juvenile Products Manufacturers’ Association. A little extra guarantee of product quality never hurt anybody!

With these tips in mind, you are now fully equipped to go out and buy your baby a walker. Just remember that walkers are not substitutes for crawling or learning how to walk properly. Though they can be helpful in increasing mobility, you should not put your baby in the walker for indeterminable periods of time. Always, always have your attention on the baby if they are in a walker, as accidents are more prone to happen when babies are up and about.

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Phil Martins -
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John Lewis offers a range of baby products including; baby walker, baby bouncer and rocking horses from leading brand names.

Customers can visit John Lewis for more information.

With those tiny toddlers at home the parents are constantly looking for the ways to give out the most comfortable and playful equipments. Parenthood can be great fun if you know what the child needs to be given besides considering the safety parameters.

Baby Walkers Offer the Following Advantages

With parents concerned about their children most of them will be concerned about the walk of their child. Whenever an individual watches their child grow the first thing to strike their mind is that when would their child walk. The baby walkers have been designed for multiple reasons. When a baby is growing most of the parents want their child to walk and play around soon. In such cases baby walkers can be a great aid that will help to train the child.

These walkers enable the child to be a little free and thus make them active. While making the child play on their baby walkers parents too can remain free for a while as the child will be more fascinated towards walking experience. These walkers can be of great help as they will make the job of training the child to walk easy and also the baby would be safe. It has been seen that baby walkers make the babies and kids walk easily while they are just learning.

Baby Walkers are Available in Multiple Designs

While making a choice one would consider the foremost parameter as safety and thus keeping in mind these walkers have been designed in a plenty of ways. These baby walkers are available in designs that would allow the child with some relaxing gliding while trying to move.

Many designs are even being fashioned that have removable wheels underneath and this would help you to control the baby while he or she will be busy walking. The benefit of opting for such baby walkers is that the chances of child getting hurt will be very low with removable wheels.

Apart from these baby walkers, some interesting toys are also available to keep the toddler playing. They will interest them and will make them stay long on the walkers and will thus learn to walk faster.

What do you need to consider when buying a baby walker?

When making a choice for the baby walker you need to consider some important points:

The design of the walker. This is really important as the baby walkers are available in a number of designs to suit the child and personal requirement.

You need to consider the height of the walker because if the height is not suitable, the baby would find it uncomfortable while walking, therefore keep a watch.

The seating has to be comfortable, be really vigilant about it. Look for the soft and foam designs to add a cushion effect to the child.

One can also find a cheap walker and a good quality. While buying you dont need to think that only larger amount will buy the best quality.

Where to buy a baby walker?

You can shop for your baby from any of the baby shops and malls. The best place to find a suitable baby walker is a place specialising the baby equipments as it will a lot of variety and designs. One can even look for buying the baby walkers online.

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Boy and Baby playing with walkers on driveway

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This article was submitted by Simona Rusnakova, SEO consultant of 3r.ie, on behalf of StayHome2Shop.com who sell baby equipment ireland, Regatta outdoor clothing, Caribee backpacks, solar products and electric bikes online in Dublin, Ireland.

Because they are dangerous, Canada has banned the use of baby walkers. Since 1992, the American Academy of Pediatrics has asked the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to do the same.

But that request has been denied although the proposed ban is supported by the Consumer Federation of America, the American Medical Association and other concerned groups.

“Opponents of the proposed ban argue that stairs cause most injuries, not the walkers. But since it’s impossible to eliminate stairs, it’s advisable to stop using walkers,” said the editors of Health News.

To appease consumer groups, some manufacturers have redesigned their walkers and have come up with safety features. Still, the fact remains that many walkers are dangerous and pose a threat to your child.

If your child doesn’t have a walker, don’t make the mistake of buying one. If you decide to get one, choose a model that is too wide to fit through doorways and pay close attention to your child.

Sandy Jones and Werner Freitag offier the following advice in “Consumer Reports’ Guide to Baby Products”:

Remove the walker’s wheels to prevent infants from moving too fast and making them more prone to accidents.

Never leave the child unattended.

Never use walkers near stairs, steps, or thresholds. Check that surfaces are flat and free of objects that may cause tripping-over either indoors or outdoors.

To reduce the chance of the child slipping out of the seat, check that both feet of the child touch the floor, and never carry walkers with the child in it.

To avoid burn injuries, keep the child away from ranges, radiators, space heaters, or fireplaces.

Always use the walker’s restraint system.

Follow the manufacturer’s height, weight or age recommendations and stop using the walker when your child has outgrown it.

Discontinue using the walker should it become damaged or broken.

Most important, keep the child in view while he or she is in the walker.

To strengthen your body, take Immunitril – your first line of defense in maintaining a healthy immune system. For details, visit http://www.bodestore.com/immunitril.html.

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From “Charley Says” DVD Featuring Murray Walker on Commentary

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Sharon Bell -
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Sharon Bell is an avid health and fitness enthusiast and published author. Many of her insightful articles can be found at the premier online news magazine http://www.HealthLinesNews.com.