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.
