Infant Safety - The Dangers of Baby Walkers

Baby walkers have been used for generations, but over the last few years they been proven to be extremely dangerous for your infant. They can cause injury to your baby, and do not help in the development of your child. In fact, they can actually hinder development.

Despite these facts, the vast majority of children are still put in baby walkers during their crawling stages. Studies have shown that around 20,000 children per year are treated in hospital emergency rooms for injuries related to baby walkers. In the majority of these cases, the baby has fallen down stairs, and in many cases they have sustained head injuries from these falls.

Some models of baby walkers have been found to be easily tipped over by the baby, and any walker with wheels allows the baby to reach areas that they normally wouldn't be able to (for example, power chords, and pots on stoves). The babies mobility can be up to one meter per second, so they can access these dangerous areas of your house in the time it takes you to pick up a ringing phone.

Experts agree that baby walkers do not help in the development of a child's walking, the best way for a child to learn how to walk is on their own, through normal development.

Most baby shops will not stock walkers with wheels anymore, however you'll still find them at second hand shops and garage sales.

The main benefit of a baby walker is that the child is able to entertain themselves while you get chores done. The alternative is to get something like the Exersaucer, which gives the child a colourful, playful area to stand and play, without the dangers of mobility.

The Exersaucer pictured below is the ExerSaucer Ultra 2 in 1, which includes a variety of toys help baby achieve 10 important developmental milestones such as gross and fine motor skills, self-awareness, tactile development. It has a multi-position seat lock and three base stabilizer feet, which provide additional stability for the younger baby, but still allows movement with it's rock, spin and bounce capabilities.

Infant Safety - Baby Gates

It doesn’t matter how closely you plan to keep your eye on your little one, there is always that split second when you are distracted, and it is at that time that your baby seems to be at their most adventurous. There are many different methods of keeping your infant safe from getting into places they shouldn't, but one of the easiest and most cost effective ways is to install a baby gate.

There are a wide range of baby gates that you can choose from in the market, so you should have no problem finding one that suits your needs. Baby gates can be used to keep your child off decks, out of fireplaces, away from stairs, and out of whole rooms (let's face it, your average crawling baby has no need to be in the bathroom by themself).

Many parents concerned with infant safety will rely too heavily on playpens to keep their baby restrained, and while these are no doubt handy at times, it is also important to allow your child to be adventurous as well.

The two main types of baby gates you can get are Hardware Mounted (these screw into the wall), or Pressure Mounted. The pressure mounted gates tend to be more versatile, easier to install, and easier to uninstall (particularly important if you are renting). They come in a variety of materials, including metal, plastic wood and mesh.

Prices can differ greatly, so it is a good idea to shop around. Prices can range from as low as $25 to over $200. If you are looking at buying a second hand gate, make sure that it is sturdy and safe before installing. Some old baby gates are "concertina style", and these have been found to be dangerous, as the babies head can get caught in them. Some of the better known brands out there are Cardinal, Cord-A_way, Dex, Dream Baby, Evenflo,Guardian Angel and Kidco.

If you have a dog in the house, and you need them to access areas that the child cannot, you may want to consider a baby gate with a "doggy door" in it (yes, there is such a beast).

In short, baby gates are essential if you have areas that are off limits for your adventurous baby. You may only need them for a short period of time, but when you're finished with them, you shouldn't have any trouble selling them on to the next parent that comes along, and you will be able to relax in the knowledge that your baby is not going places that they shouldn't.

About Infant Safety

Welcome to Infant Safety. On this site, we will endeavour to address the most important issues surrounding the safety of your child, around the home, in the community, and on the internet. Some of the topics Infant Safety will be addressing will include;

Child proofing your home – For new parents or parents to be, having a child in the home can be a scary proposition. It’s very easy to not recognise a danger that is lurking around your home. Infant Safety will be giving you simple step by step, room by room techniques and how to make your house baby and friendly, inside and out.

Choking – Choking is a great fear parents have for their newborns, and rightly so. There are many things out there that a baby can choke on, and not all of them are obvious. Infant Safety will be going into detail, listing items around your home that could possibly be a choking hazard.

Pet Safety – Do you have a pet at home, and are worried about the dangers it may cause to your child? Infant Safety will be looking at the steps you can take to minimise the risks involved with having cats, dogs and other pets around the home with your baby. Remember, having a newborn in your home is a big adjustment for your pets as well.

Poisoning – Infant Safety will be looking not only at ways to prevent poisoning, but we will also be looking at the things you can do immediately after poisoning occurs. We will be having an in depth look at lead poisoning, and the items around your home that you may not even know have traces of lead in them. Infant Safety will also be talking about smoking, and why it is important that your child does not breathe second hand smoke.

Internet Safety – Children are using the internet at younger and younger ages. There are now many preschools that are teaching children how to use computers. For parents who are not computer savvy, or who have not had to worry about internet safety before, the world of virus protection, firewalls and online predators can seem impossible. We will look at how to child proof your computer, to ensure your children can benefit from the learning experience the internet has to offer, without being at risk.

If there is anything that you feel is important to cover in these articles, please feel free to contact Infant Safety via email at infantsafety@gmail.com.

Infant Safety - Welcome

Welcome to Infant Safety. This site will teach you important strategies for keeping your newborn baby or toddler safe, around the home and out and about. If you have any questions about the topics we cover, or would like a particular child safety topic covered, please feel free to send us an email at infantsafety@gmail.com