| Â Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE | | | | Baby Products." |
| X-NONE | | | | The length of time your baby spends in a walker |
| /* Style Definitions */table.MsoNormalTable | | | | determines how prone he or she is to accidents. In |
| {mso-style-name:"Table | | | | general, the risk of accidents increases in kids who |
| e-qformat:yes;mso-style-parent:"";mso-padding-alt:0in | | | | spend an hour or more a day in them. Most accidents |
| 5.4pt 0in | | | | occur in the early afternoon when only one parent |
| :"Times New | | | | was away. |
| i-font-family:Calibri;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} | | | | Parents often purchase a walker in the belief that it will |
| What makes mobile baby walkers dangerous? | | | | help their child walk sooner. Fifty percent of walker |
| Experts say their very design helps kids move easily - | | | | buyers had this impression but the facts say |
| often much too easily for them to sustain serious | | | | otherwise. |
| injuries. | | | | Rather than help your baby walk, walkers may make |
| "About three million baby walkers are sold in the United | | | | things difficult for your child. Freitag, who has |
| States each year. They are generally used in the 2- to | | | | developed safety standards for baby products for the |
| 4-month period after a child can sit up and before he | | | | American Society for Testing and Materials, said |
| can walk without assistance. But by giving a child | | | | walkers may "interfere with needed pulling up, crawling |
| added height, a walker suddenly brings him within reach | | | | and creeping experiences" of babies. |
| of hazards such as boiling pots, electric irons and | | | | This was proven by a study that showed that the leg |
| unprotected electrical cords. And kids in walkers travel | | | | actions of babies who used walkers differed greatly |
| so fast - three or four feet a second - that even the | | | | from those who didn't. In that study, babies who spent |
| most attentive parents may not be able to avert | | | | a considerable time in walkers had stiff legs and |
| disaster," said Diana Willensky in American Health | | | | shorter steps. They also leaned forward more than |
| magazine. | | | | children who learned to walk on their own. |
| "Babies in walkers plummet downstairs, turn over in | | | | In another study involving twins, the baby who didn't |
| walkers that are snagged by cords, door thresholds, | | | | use a walker started walking two weeks earlier than |
| and carpet edges, roll themselves against hot wood | | | | the one who used the device for two hours every |
| stoves and heaters, fall over concrete curbs, or tumble | | | | day. |
| into swimming polls. Parents should be particularly wary | | | | "Studies are showing that not only do walkers not help |
| of old-style x-frame walkers that are still being sold in | | | | babies to walk sooner, they may even impede the |
| garage sales. | | | | walking development of babies who have motor |
| "These designs have been responsible for many | | | | deficits by teaching them abnormal moving patterns," |
| injuries, including finger amputations when a baby's | | | | Jones and Freitag said. (Next: How to protect your |
| hand got caught in the closing x-joint of the frame - | | | | child from dangerous walkers.) |
| such models should be discarded," added Sandy Jones | | | | To strengthen your body, take Immunitril - your first line |
| and Werner Freitag in "Consumer Reports' Guide to | | | | of defense in maintaining a healthy immune system. |