Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 13, 2026
A Battery of Motor Tests in a Neonatal Mouse Model of Cerebral Palsy
Published on: November 3, 2016
Baby walkers--still a major cause of infant burns
O C Cassell1, M Hubble, M A Milling
1Welsh Burns Unit, Morriston Hospital, Swansea, UK.
Insights
Baby walkers continue to cause frequent and severe thermal injuries in infants, including burns and scalds. Despite safety recommendations, these walking aids remain a significant hazard, suggesting a need for a ban.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Safety
- Burn Prevention
- Consumer Product Hazards
Background:
- Baby walkers are associated with various pediatric injuries, including burns.
- Previous safety warnings were issued in 1984 and 1989.
- The effectiveness of these safety measures in reducing thermal injuries is unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if safety recommendations reduced the incidence or severity of thermal injuries from baby walkers.
- To assess the current rate of baby walker-related burns in infants.
Main Methods:
- A survey of parents of children under 15 months admitted in 1994.
- Inquiring if the child was using a baby walker at the time of injury.
- Analyzing burn type, severity, and patient outcomes.
Main Results:
- Eight of 32 infants (6-12 months) were burned in baby walkers.
- Burns included contact burns and scalds, with an average 8-day hospital stay.
- One infant required resuscitation, and three needed skin grafts.
Conclusions:
- The incidence and severity of thermal injuries from baby walkers remain high despite safety measures.
- Current safety recommendations have not effectively reduced baby walker-related burns.
- A ban on baby walkers, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics, may be warranted.
Abstract:
Baby walkers have been implicated in many forms of paediatric trauma, ranging from finger tip entrapment to severe head injury. Their relationship to childhood burns has been documented previously. The Department of Trade and Industry published further warnings in 1984 and the British Standards Institution in 1989. We wished to determine if the degree or frequency of thermal injury had been lessened by these recommendations. All parents of children under 15 months of age admitted to this unit in 1994 were asked if their child was in a baby walker at the time of injury. Eight of the 32 infants, aged between 6 and 12 months, were burned in their walking aid. Half of the burns were contact and half scalds, and the average in-patient stay was 8 days. One patient required formal resuscitation and three were grafted. The incidence and severity of thermal injury sustained in baby walkers remains at a high level despite increased safety measures. Perhaps it is time to concur with the American Academy of Paediatrics and recommend a ban on these dangerous aids.
Related Concept Videos
01:28Factors Affecting Body Temperature
Factors may include:
01:29Decreased Body Temperature
01:22Burn Injuries
The damage results in the death of skin cells, which can lead to a massive loss of fluid. Dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, and renal and circulatory failure follow, which can be fatal. Burn patients are treated with intravenous fluids to offset...
01:17Sleepwalking and Sleep Talking
Factors that increase the likelihood of sleepwalking include sleep deprivation and alcohol consumption. Contrary to common beliefs, it is safe...