Baby walkers assisted young children in learning to walk and promoted a straight posture as early as the fourteenth century (which carried moral overtones of upright character).
Similar infant walkers can be seen in 17th- and 18th-century European book illustrations and paintings, attesting to their widespread use. They offered toddlers limited mobility, just like their contemporary counterparts.
Importantly, they also avoided risky falls into hot stoves and fires. Baby walkers made of wood and wicker experienced significant wear and strain over time.
Go-carts, standing stools, baby runners, walking stools, and trainers are just a few of the titles that baby walkers have gone by over time. By the 18th century, the preferred style was a wooden frame with four slanting supports and a few crosspieces.
The infant managed to grasp the crosspieces while standing inside the frame. Other chairs had square bases with wheels on them. The wheels made it simple for the kid to push the frame.
There were advancements by the nineteenth century. Toys were kept on a tiny shelf in front. To enable the kid to jump up and down, springs were added. In the 20th century, walkers were made of vibrant plastic and featured a variety of racks and accessories.
Because more than 40 distinct terms are used in academic or news reports for these devices, it is difficult to calculate the total number of injuries caused by these devices, so the number of injuries caused by baby walkers is probably underestimated.
Parents are advised against using infant walkers by the American Academy of Pediatrics, Kids In Danger, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, and other groups. Parent’s willingness to use these devices is decreased by direct education given to them in a medical environment.
The selling of baby walkers was outlawed in Canada on April 7, 2004. The selling, importation, and advertising of baby walkers are now prohibited in Canada, the first nation to do so globally. All modified and used infant strollers, including those offered for sale at yard sales or flea markets, are prohibited.
Due to increased awareness of the risks associated with these devices and manufacturers’ voluntary safety improvements, infant walker-related injuries per year in the United States decreased from about 21,000 in 1990 to about 3,200 in 2003.
After mandatory U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission standards, including testing requirements and brakes to avoid stair falls, went into force in 2010, injuries decreased by an additional 23%.
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