Infant walker is one of the most popular choices of baby toys among parents. Most parents believe that infant walker promotes walking and provides exercise to their babies’. However, research has pointed out that this is untrue. Even though kids enjoy being in infant walkers they are not very safe in them.

Safety concerns

Infants have suffered various injuries because of the extra mobility and reach that infant walkers provide them. For instance,

• Infants face the risk of falling down the stairs when walking in them.
• There is a danger of infants tipping over when trying to cross uneven surfaces like door thresholds or carpet edges.
• Some children have been burnt as a result of hot liquids spilling over them.
• There have been instances of children drowning by falling into a pool or a bath tub.

Safe infant walker

If parents take some precautions while buying and using infant walkers they can prevent accidents and injuries. Here are a few tips:

• Avoid buying walkers with trendy decorative laces as these are susceptible to catching fire. Select an apt, safe infant walker preferably without wheels to minimize injuries.
• A parent or caretaker should always be around to keep an eye on baby’s movements.
• Keep any breakable items that are within baby’s reach safely away from him\her.
• Avoid carrying hot liquids\food in the area where baby is playing in the walker as he\she could bang into you.
• Keep the doors of rooms latched, don’t allow your baby to use the walker near the staircase and in the kitchen.
• Keep your baby away from swimming pools, toilets or any other source of water.
• Ensure that there are no loose or hanging cords in the area where the walker is being used.

You can get your child an activity centre instead of an infant walker. Activity centers are either stationary or allow limited mobility and keep the infant busy and happy.