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
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Consumer Reports says these rules don’t 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, CR’s 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 baby’s 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.
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“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 exception—not the norm—for consumers to encounter dangerous products like old infant walkers that would fail today’s 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.
