They’re dangerous, even deadly. So why are baby walkers still legal?

Oct 11

Lauren Taylor Anchor

By Lauren Taylor (Anchor), Shea Taylor (Producer), Emma Stoltzfus (Video Editor/Producer)

Sit-in baby walkers have been banned in Canada for two decades, but they are still one of the most popular baby items in the United States despite renewed calls for a ban on them. The walkers are linked to thousands of injuries every year and were linked to at least eight deaths between 2004 and 2008.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has called for their ban since 2004 to no avail. Safety standards were tightened in 2010 and again in 2022 to prevent stair falls and tip-overs. However, almost 2,500 injuries were reported each year from 2021 to 2023.

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Even though walker sales dropped by about 350,000 over the last decade, the AAP says that while stair falls may have been reduced, head and neck injuries are still common. There are also other risks like children inadvertently rolling into pools or being burned or poisoned because reaching high objects is easier in a walker.

Still, despite repeated recalls, updated safety standards and warnings from experts, baby walkers continue to be sold all over the U.S. to parents who do not know all of the risks.

Consumer Reports, a nonprofit dedicated to product testing, asked the Consumer Product Safety Commission if it would consider a ban on baby walkers.

“Staff constantly review incident data with a view toward ensuring that standards continue to address product hazards,” the organization said. “To the extent that staff recommend additional improvements to the mandatory standard, the Commission will consider how best to act on those recommendations.”

Tags: Canada, Children, Consumer Product Safety Commission, Death, Health, Health Care, hospital, Recall, United States

THEY’VE PROVEN TO BE DANGEROUS – DEADLY, EVEN – SO WHY ARE THEY STILL LEGAL IN THE U-S?

WHILE IT MAY SOUND LIKE I’M TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING FAR MORE SINISTER – I’M TALKING ABOUT BABY WALKERS.

THEY’VE BEEN BANNED IN CANADA FOR TWO DECADES, BUT THEY’RE STILL ON OF THE MOST POPULAR BABY ITEMS IN THE UNITED STATES.

SIT-IN BABY WALKERS ARE LINKED TO THOUSANDS OF INJURIES EVERY YEAR – AND HAVE BEEN LINKED TO AT LEAST EIGHT DEATHS.

THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS HAS BEEN CALLING FOR THEIR BAN SINCE 2004… TO NO AVAIL.

SAFETY STANDARDS WERE TIGHTENED IN 20-10 – THEN AGAIN IN 20-22 – TO PREVENT STAIR FALLS AND TIP-OVERS… BUT STILL ALMOST 25-HUNDRED INJURIES WERE REPORTED EACH YEAR FROM 20-21 TO 20-23.

AND EVEN THOUGH WALKER SALES DROPPED BY ABOUT 350-THOUSAND OVER THE LAST DECADE… THE A-A-P SAYS THAT WHILE STAIR FALLS MAY HAVE BEEN REDUCED… HEAD AND NECK INJURIES ARE STILL COMMON – AS ARE OTHER RISKS LIKE CHILDREN INADVERTENTLY ROLLING INTO POOLS OR BEING BURNED OR POISONED BECAUSE REACHING HIGH OBJECTS IS EASIER IN A WALKER.

STILL – DESPITE REPEATED RECALLS, UPDATED SAFETY STANDARDS, AND WARNINGS FROM EXPERTS, BABY WALKERS CONTINUE TO BE SOLD ALL OVER IN THE U-S TO PARENTS WHO SIMPLY DON’T KNOW JUST HOW HAZARDOUS THEY CAN BE.

CONSUMER REPORTS – A NONPROFIT DEDICATED TO PRODUCT TESTING – ASKED THE CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION IF IT WOULD CONSIDER A BAN ON BABY WALKERS… ITS RESPONSE WAS QUOTE –

“STAFF CONSTANTLY REVIEW INCIDENT DATA WITH A VIEW TOWARD ENSURING THAT STANDARDS CONTINUE TO ADDRESS PRODUCT HAZARDS. TO THE EXTENT THAT STAFF RECOMMEND ADDITIONAL IMPROVEMENTS TO THE MANDATORY STANDARD, THE COMMISSION WILL CONSIDER HOW BEST TO ACT ON THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS.”