Consumer Reports joined calls to ban infant walkers as the American Academy of Pediatrics has long recommended against using infant walkers.
Consumer Reports joined growing calls to ban infant walkers in the U.S. years after Canada implemented a law prohibiting the sale and import of such products.
In 2018, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, based in Columbus, Ohio, published a study indicating that between 1990 and 2014, 230,676 children were treated in U.S. emergency rooms for injuries sustained by using infant walkers. The study noted that injuries declined after 2010 when federal officials implemented stronger safety standards for walkers.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has long recommended against using infant walkers.
Federal rules require infant walkers to have four features:
– Prevention of falls down stairs
– Tipping resistance
– Dynamic and static load testing on seating area
– Occupant retention
RELATED STORY | Infant walkers sold on Amazon deemed unsafe
Consumer Reports says these rules dont go far enough.
The evidence is clear: Infant walkers are unsafe, and the current federal standard fails to address their well-known risks, Oriene Shin, CRs policy counsel, said in a report. Thousands of babies continue to be injured by these products every year, and parents deserve better choices for products that support their babys development. Congress should ban infant walkers and help parents keep their babies safe as they grow and learn how to walk.
Shin notes that there have been numerous recalls of baby walkers. But the fact that these items can be resold online remains concerning.
RELATED STORY | Fisher-Price recalls 2 million infant swings after 5 deaths due to suffocation risk
Parents and caregivers have countless options online and need to be able to trust that any baby product they buy is going to be safe, Shin said in the report. It should be the rare exceptionnot the normfor consumers to encounter dangerous products like old infant walkers that would fail todays U.S. standards and are banned elsewhere. Platforms should take their responsibility much more seriously to prevent the listing of unsafe baby products and respond quickly when they learn about a hazard.
Without a ban in place, Consumer Reports says consumers should avoid these products.