Paediatrician wants baby walkers to be banned

ONE of Ireland’s leading paediatricians has called for an outright European ban on baby walkers, which are used by thousands of Irish parents in the belief they are a safe place to keep babies entertained and help them learn to walk.

Professor Alf Nicholson, a paediatrician in Temple Street Children’s Hospital, Dublin, said the popular nursery items, which allow babies between five and 15 months move around independently within a wheeled frame, can cause serious injuries, adding that research shows they do not even help babies learn to walk.

In many European countries baby walkers are linked to more injuries than any other type of nursery equipment, “causing an unacceptably high number of severe falls, burns and scalds, and poisonings” he revealed, adding that data from nine European countries show that over 90% of baby walker injuries are to the head, with 31% of them causing brain injury, and 35% causing skull injury.

There are no official records in Ireland for baby walker injuries but Prof Nicholson confirmed he regularly comes across them in Temple Street.

Austrian hospital records show that a baby walker injury severe enough to cause a skull fracture or concussion occurs at least once a week. Research in Wales showed that 25% of babies hospitalised with burns and scalds had been injured while in a walker.

In the latest edition of the Irish Medical Journal, Prof Nicholson and Dr Adrian Murphy highlight the dangers of baby walkers.

Their article says research shows that walkers can inhibit walking ability and babies who used walkers scored lower on locomotive development tests than babies who did not use them.

Prof Nicholson said stationary baby items like playpens and entertainment centres were much safer alternatives.

Many expert organisations have already called for bans on baby walkers, while Canada has already implemented a total ban on use, possession, and sale of baby walkers, with a fine of up to $150,000 Canadian dollars and/or six months imprisonment.

“Our view is that baby walkers do not help babies learn to walk, and serve no beneficial function for children, in fact impeding walking ability rather than aiding it. Babies are at a highly increased risk of head injury, burns and scalds and poisoning while using a baby walker. We urge parents and caregivers to use safer alternatives to baby walkers and urge healthcare providers not to promote baby walker use,” say Prof Nicholson and Dr Murphy.

Prof Nicholson said that most paediatricians would favour a ban on walkers. He said that while it seemed extreme, that was how most changes in injury prevention law had occurred — with child car seats and seat belts now widely accepted as saving lives despite not being viewed that way initially.