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Infant walker injuries persist in Canada after sales have ceased
C D Morrison1, R S Stanwick, M Tenenbein
1Department of Pediatrics, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg.
Insights
Infant walker injuries persist in Canada despite new sales bans. Most walkers are acquired second-hand, and most families stop using them after an injury, highlighting the need for public education and recall programs.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Injury Prevention
Background:
- Infant walkers are associated with significant injuries.
- Understanding acquisition sources and post-injury attitudes is crucial for prevention.
Purpose of the Study:
- Identify infant walker acquisition sources.
- Assess caregiver attitudes towards walker use after injury.
- Inform preventive strategy development.
Main Methods:
- Descriptive and retrospective study design.
- Data collected from an urban children's hospital emergency department.
- Analysis of 36 patients with infant walker-related injuries over 42 months.
Main Results:
- 36 patients presented with infant walker injuries.
- Of 26 contacted families, 8 walkers were purchased new in the US, and 18 were second-hand.
- New infant walkers are not sold in Canada.
Conclusions:
- Infant walker injuries continue in Canada despite the absence of new sales.
- Public education campaigns and recall initiatives are recommended preventive strategies.
- Similar regulatory and preventive approaches may be beneficial internationally.
Objective:
To identify the source of acquisition of infant walkers and attitudes regarding the continuing use of walkers following an injury to an infant in order to design preventive strategies.
Design:
Descriptive and retrospective.
Setting:
Emergency department of a children's hospital involved in primary, secondary and tertiary care.
Patients:
All patients presenting with injuries associated with infant walkers over a 42-month period.
Interventions:
None.
Main Outcome Measures:
Source of acquisition of infant walker and actions taken after the injury.
Results:
The demographic and outcome data of the 36 patients were similar to previous reports. The caretakers of 26 patients were reached by telephone. Eight walkers were purchased in the United States and 18 were second-hand acquisitions (new walkers are not available for sale in Canada). Only two families continued using their walkers in the same fashion as prior to the injury.
Conclusions:
Although new infant walkers are not sold in Canada, injuries associated with their use continue. An aggressive public education campaign discouraging infant walker use and an incentive driven recall campaign to retrieve circulating walkers are seen as complimentary preventive strategies. A similar approach should be considered in other countries that choose to regulate infant walkers.