Pediatricians Call for Ban on Infant Walkers

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) wants to stop the sale of infant walkers, citing they are to blame for thousands of children’s injuries each year.

The popular infant toy has been raising red flags among doctors for years because they can cause kids to fall down stairs or gain access to objects that otherwise may have been out of reach.

Although tougher safety standards implemented in 2010 have led to a decrease in injuries as well sales, the AAP’s new study still thinks infant walkers are too dangerous for kids.

The study looked at emergency department visits for kids under 15 months old from 1990 to 2014. In the 14-year period, there were 230,676 infant walker injuries, according to the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System.

Falling down the stairs was the most common walker-related injury, accounting for 74 percent of injuries. And raising further call for concern, about 91 percent of the injuries were to the head or neck.

The study also shows injuries have decreased dramatically over the years. In 1990, there were 20,650 injuries compared to 3,201 in 2003. Infant walker injuries fell another 37.5 percent from 2003 to 2014, but the decline was not statistically significant.

Following the 2010 mandatory standards update, there were about 2,801 injuries annually during the four years prior. While the standards may have impacted this number, the AAP also believes the decline in use of the product may have also played a part.

Still, there are more than 2,000 kids rushed to the hospital each year for infant walker injuries.

“Despite the decline in injuries, infant walkers remain an important and preventable source of injury among young children, which supports the position of the AAP to call for a ban on their manufacture and sale in the United States,” the AAP says.

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