HEAD-INJURIES RELATED TO THE USE OF BABY WALKERS

  • 1 January 1984
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 131  (6) , 573-575
Abstract
To determine what proportions of head injuries in children under 24 mo. of age who presented to an emergency department were related to the use of baby walkers, the charts of 52 such children were reviewed. Walkers were involved in 42% of the head injuries in the children under 12 mo. of age and in none of those in the children aged 12-24 mo. All walker-related injuries, including skull fractures in 3 children, involved stairs (P < 0.001). Questionnaires were also sent to all families with children aged 3 to 18 mo. attending a private pediatric practice to determine the prevalence of falls involving baby walkers among these children and the factors associated with such falls. Of the 152 responding families 82% reported using or having used a walker. Of the families, 36% reported that their child had a fall while in a walker, with 8.8% of the falls resulting in contact with a doctor. Walker-related falls were directly associated with time spent in the walker (P < 0.001) with a previous fall from the walker by an older sibling (P < 0.03). Since there is no demonstrated benefit of walkers, their use should not be encouraged, and parents should be advised of their potential danger.

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