The Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s Center for Injury Research and Policy have come out and said that they believe that the sale of infant walkers should be banned.
This warning follows a study that was published in the Pediatrics journal on Monday, Sept. 17. It showed how nearly one-quarter of a million toddlers under the age of 15 months had been treated in hospitals for injuries related to infant walkers between 1990 and 2014.
While the number of children who were injured decreased by more than 90 percent from 1990 to 2014, just over 2,000 occurred in 2014 alone.
The decline in injuries during the last 15 years can be attributed to improvements having been made in the design of the walkers, which in turn, has led to decreased falls down stairs. Up until 1997, walkers were designed to be too narrow that toddlers could more easily power them through a door frame and down a staircase. They also lacked a braking mechanism that would stop the walker from falling if it did end up on a stair.
During the four years after the implementation of these safety standards, there was a 23 percent decrease in injuries over the four prior ones. The researchers working on the Pediatrics study reported that all but 9 percent of injuries reported were neck or head injuries. Around one-third of those resulted in either skull fractures or concussions.
The American Academy of Pediatrics had previously issued a warning about these walkers and the researchers note that they support it. They contend that these make it too easy for toddlers to gain access to objects that would otherwise be out of reach. They also allow them to move about as quickly as 4 feet per second, a speed that is far beyond what is developmentally appropriate for them.
When a consumer purchases a product, they expect it to have been fully tested and free of the potential risk of injury. If it has the potential of being harmful to others, then a consumer expects it to contain labeling letting them know of that. If an item you purchased contained unforeseen dangers or improper labeling that resulted in you or your child getting hurt, then a New Haven products liability attorney may advise you of your right to file a lawsuit.
