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Patterns of walker use and walker injury
Insights
Infant walkers cause significant injuries, with falls down stairs being the most common. Many children continue using walkers after injury, highlighting the need for improved safety measures and guidance.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Traumatology
- Consumer Product Safety
- Infant Health
Background:
- Infant walkers are frequently associated with unexpected injuries in infants.
- Previous research indicates a need to understand the specific mechanisms and patterns of these injuries.
Purpose of the Study:
- To prospectively determine the mechanisms and patterns of infant walker injuries.
- To investigate patterns of infant walker usage.
- To identify risk factors and inform safety recommendations.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study of infant injuries sustained in baby walkers over a 1-year period.
- Review of injury types, mechanisms, and severity.
- Assessment of walker use patterns post-injury and home safety measures like stair gates.
Main Results:
- 139 infant injuries were recorded, including 29 fractures.
- Falls down stairs accounted for 123 injuries, with stair gates present in only one third of these falls.
- Two-thirds of injured children continued using walkers post-injury, with one-third still using them at 2-month follow-up.
Conclusions:
- Baby walkers are a significant source of injury for infants.
- Falls down stairs are the primary cause of severe walker-related injuries.
- Continued walker use post-injury and insufficient use of safety devices like stair gates necessitate further research into warning labels and anticipatory guidance.
Abstract:
Infant walkers have been described as a cause of unexpected trauma in the first year of life. We conducted a prospective study to determine the mechanism and pattern of walker injuries presenting to an urban pediatric teaching hospital. We also studied the patterns of walker use. All injuries sustained by infants in baby walkers during a 1-year period were reviewed. The 139 injuries included 29 fractures. The most severe injuries were caused by falls down stairs; these falls accounted for 123 of the injuries. Stair gates were present in one third of all falls. At follow-up 2 months later, two thirds of the children had been in the walker subsequent to the injury. One third were still in the walker at 2 months after their initial injury. Less than half of the homes that had not had stair gates in place had acquired them at the time of follow-up. Baby walkers represent a cause of significant injury in the infant population; studies of warning labels and anticipatory guidance are needed.