Walkers are devices that use a wheeled frame and suspended seat to allow babies to propel themselves using their feet. There are lots of reasons to avoid them. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) strongly discourages the use of walkers because of the risk of severe injuries from falling on stairs.

Why you should avoid walkers:

• Nearly 14,000 injuries are treated in emergency rooms every year as a result of walkers. Thirty-four children have died since 1973 because of baby walkers.
• Babies in walkers can fall over objects and can roll into hot stoves, pools, and heaters; most dangerously, they can roll down stairs where a baby is at risk of head injury at the bottom.
• Walkers may give a baby the momentum needed to break through a gate (sometimes with stairs on the other side), something that results in head injuries to thousands of babies each year.
• Research shows that there is no advantage to a child's development. Walkers do not teach infants to walk or enable them to walk sooner than they would without one. Walkers may also deny infants the necessary pulling up, creeping, and crawling experiences.

Reviewed by: Barbara P. Homeier, MD
Date reviewed: November 2004
Originally reviewed by: Steven Dowshen, MD