Baby walkers in Europe--time to consider a ban.

摘要

In countries where baby walkers are used there has long been controversy about their risks and benefits, Baby walkers are a non-essential nursery product made of a seat surrounded by a rigid frame which is set on wheels. Most walkers also have a tray with toys or rattles attached, and many can be compacted for portability. Parents give various reasons for using walkers - to keep the infant quiet and happy, to encourage mobility and provide exercise, and to hold the infant during feeding. In the United Kingdom, baby walkers are used by over 50% of infants'.Baby walkers are often used by parents and caregivers for children between 5 to 15 months of age. Most parents have the impression that the baby walker is a safe place to keep children entertained while they attend to other tasks, or they believe the walker will help a baby learn to walk. However, despite their name, baby walkers do not help a child learn to walk, in fact, use of a walker can inhibit walking ability2. Babies who used walkers scored lower on locomotive development tests than babies who did not use walkers2'3. Furthermore, use of a baby walker puts a baby at increased risk of injuries, which almost always occur to the head, Given the high rate of injuries combined with their lack of tangible benefit or necessity or useful for child-rearing, and the wide availability of safer alternatives, we question why they are allowed to be sold at all.