Baby mobility and physical skills

Concern about incidents with walkers led Health Canada to introduce a voluntary standard in 1989. Since no walkers with wheels met the standards, distributors took them off the market. Today, stores sell activity bouncers or rockers with no wheels that allow babies to stand and hold on and, thus, exercise their legs but stay in one place.

Hidden dangers and drawbacks
However, parents can still buy walkers with wheels at yard sales, so injuries still occur. The most common and the most serious injuries in wheeled walkers involve the baby toppling down a flight of stairs. A baby in a wheeled walker may pick up enough speed to crash through a safety gate. He can easily trip over toys, loose rugs, and other objects in the way.

For developmental reasons, walkers have some drawbacks. Research shows that the babies who spend a lot of time in walkers show delays in learning how to walk correctly. A baby needs to develop muscles in the legs and hips through her own efforts, and practise the many body movements and skills, like balancing and failing, that are needed for walking. Crawling and cruising prepare your baby for her first unsupported steps and walking. Too much time in a walker limits this kind of exploration.