Buying A Baby Walker: To Buy Or Not To Buy A Walker, Weigh The Risks

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has intentions to ban the use walkers as they could potentially lead to disastrous outcomes. However, parents also need a safe place that they could put their toddlers in.

Babble reports that the popular baby item is being used by more than half of parents in the United States according to AAP. Walkers are either made with metal or plastic frame that come with a fabric-covered chair.

They are used for a safe spot to put your babies on, an entertainment outlet for your kid and an aid to teaching them to walk. So help you decide, we've provided you the pro's and con's of getting a walker for your toddler:

Pros

Live Strong highlights that baby walkers are equipped with a collection of entertaining stuff that will keep your kid interested for some time. This is most useful when you're working on something else and you need your toddler to stay put. If you decide on a walker, remember not to place your toddler anywhere near the stairs or any possible hazards. It should only be used for a short period of time.

Now if you wish to buy one, Babble suggests looking for the JPMA (Juvenile Product Manufacturers Association) seal on the product. These walkers are equipped with extra safety measures to further protect your baby. Often, these walkers are wider than 36 inches so they won't pass doorways and they are equipped with brakes.

Cons

The AAP confirms that walkers do not aid the toddler to walk. In fact, it does the opposite. Hub Pages also reaffirms this claim. Recent studies have shown that those babies using walkers are found to walk slower compared to others. The toddler usually continues walking without his or her own effort of doing so. In turn, this makes them walk on their own later than the others.

Why Are Baby Walkers Banned In Canada?: The baby walker ban officially became law in April 2004, after 15 year... https://t.co/yy8JkIUClH

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The AAP has been appealing to the U.S. government to ban baby walkers since 1995. In Canada, it has been banned since 2004. In a study conducted in 2005, there were 3,331 incidents of emergencies caused by baby walkers.

Most common are injuries to the head caused by a fall. When you put your toddlers in walkers, you give them the chance to be mobile even if they are not yet crawling or walking. Unaware of the dangers around, the baby can reach for a hot oven, electric appliances, go outside the house or go down the stairs.

Although there's a sense of security when you put your kid in a baby walker, weight in the pros and cons. Check out this video of a baby using a walker: