Infant Walkers are a Big No-No, According to New Study

Princess Monster Truck (my 8 month-old daughter) is looking to add pedal locomotion (walking) to her repertoire of toddleresque tricks.  With that in mind, my wife and I started looking at baby products that lend themselves to helping little Isabelle learn to walk.  Imagine my surprise when I learned that the infant walker is now a big no-no.  The time honored childhood standard has fallen under harsh criticism in recent years for the potential injuries that come with giving your child the ability to experience the joys of walking before their balance kicks in.

According to the study, published in the respected medical journal Pediatrics, giving 5 - 15 month old kids the ability to walk before provides no benefit what-so-ever.  The devices literally teach infants to run before they can walk (and in some cases crawl), and in doing so - they throw safety into the wind.  In excess of 230,000 children under 15 months old were treated in emergency rooms between 1990 and 2014 due to infant walker-related injuries.  That number has decreased dramatically in recent years, but organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics say that it isn't enough.  They want to ban the sale and manufacture of the devices altogether.

In light of this new report, it's safe to say that we will be sticking to the bouncer and trying to walk with mommy and daddy for now.