Baby Walkers Should be Banned?What Do You Think?

I have been having a debate with my brother and sister in law for the past few months about the baby walkers.They have 9 month old twins who i watch on a daily basis and they are ready to walk.We would like to buy walkers to help in the process.Altho the family doctor has warned against this purchase.He seems to think they are dangerous and should be banned in the US.I have done alot of research on this issue and have found different opinions from everyone.I and my brother used to almost live in our walkers as children.We were never injured from the use of it.My own belief is that if the child(children) are carefully watched nothing will happen to injure the child while in the walker and they can just enjoy the fun of running around and exploring the home alot more than they do when crawling.What are your opinions on this issue??Am i right to think this way??Should we get them walkers??I think they could get hurt alot more by crawling around and exploring areas and objects without a walker to help prevent the touching of or climbing onto items in the home.Im not sure if i am posting this in the correct forum so please move it to the correct one if its not.
Thank You Fellow Atsers

Are baby walkers fun? Sure.
Are they dangerous? You bet.

In addition to falls down stairs and falls out of their walker, many infants are injured each year as their mobile baby walker makes them a little too mobile and able to get to things that would otherwise be out of reach. This may allow them to reach countertops and get burned or poisoned by things they pull down, drown by falling into a pool, bathtub, or toilet, or simply hurting their fingers and toes if they get pinched

pediatrics.about.com...
www.ivillage.com...
www.keepkidshealthy.com...
www.suite101.com...
health.discovery.com...
www.healthychildren.org... 00-000000000000&nfstatusdescription=ERROR%3a+No+local+token
www.cpsc.gov...

Hello,

To answer your question, yes I think they should be banned in the States as well. By as well, I'm refering to the fact that they are already banned in Canada due to many kids being hurt by these things. My cousin actually did a header down the stairs in one of these things when she was obviously a young one. There are people in Canada however that just want to risk the safety of their precious child due to the "convenience" of these safety hazards/potential death traps, and drive all the way to the states to purchase one.
Bottom line, if your thinking of buying one, I suggest you do not, and petiition to have them banned in the USA, as it is for the safety and well being of the children, and what could possibly supercede that?

reply to post by Anthony Mallozzi


Thank you for your insight.I am not sure if we are going to buy them or not yet.Altho i do know it is dangerous if the child is not being watched continously and are near stairs,heaters,ect ect.We have none of those things at the house they live in.The stairs go up not down and would not be an issue.The heater is downstairs in the basement and the door to it is locked at all times.It isnt just a convienence it would also save them from harm in some ways as i stated in the OP.Yet again i thank you for your insight on this subject.

Do you really need the Nanny State banning yet something else because you can'thandle the decision yourself? That's how government grows and intrudes upon your life, by using these "It's for the children" arguments which implicitly say you are too stupid to make safe decisions yourself. Next they'll ban zippers because someone caught their pee pee in one. C'mon. Take control of your life and don't depend on the government to save you.

How about we keep the government out of our lives and let parents be responsible for their children.

Should the government ban them? Hell no! Parents should watch their kids!! ANYTHING can be dangerous to a baby/toddler. So maybe we should just keep babies/toddlers locked up in padded rooms?

I used one growing up and so did my 2 brothers. My daughter used one too. Not once was there an injury. However, all of us were injured on a bicycle at some point. Oh no! We should ban those too!

If a child gets injured on one it is because the parents are not watching their child; therefore the chance of the child being injured doing ANYTHING is very high. Watch your kids! (to everyone)


Less government! That is what we should ALL be striving for!

accidents happen when parents aren't watching. It makes no difference if they are in a baby walker or on the ground. If you can't watch them for even a min, put the child in a safe playpen with some safe toys where it can't crawl out by itself.

My daughter had so much fun in her baby walker, just before her first steps and I have no regrets ever getting one. That said, she was always watched when in it. It's not a piece of furniture to drop your kid in when you need to do something in another room!

I almost didn't reply

Ban a walker? Sure, as long as we get rid of the adult versions too! My grandma was using hers, it got stuck, she tripped and broke her hip! (Long time ago)

Anyway, look how dangerous they are! They beat up my grandma!

OR

A person could be trusted to make up their own mind. A parent is not a baby, and should not need their hand held. If one does not like the use of these walkers, then don't use them.

My son uses a walker.

I watch him.

reply to post by greeneyedleo


Exactly my point.If your watching the child there should be no need for banning them.I dont understand why they have in canada and other places.I guess they just dont watch their children enough and allow them to get hurt.I think they can get hurt more just trying to walk and crawl than in a walker that protects them from many things.I think the ban on them should be liften.My brother and i were in walkers as children and we never got injured from them.My child will be in a walker when i have one.Thank you everyone for your insight on this issue.

I wouldn't ban them. Just put a rope or a half door up where they can't access stairways. Make people more aware of the dangers of walkers and keeping stair wells blocked.

Putting a baby in a walker with access to stairs is like being put in a boat above a waterfalls. Sooner or later they're going to go over right when you run to check on the burning beans.