Should You Use a Baby Walker?

There are a lot of baby products on the market, and while their usefulness is often subjective, pediatricians don't recommend some of them, including baby walkers.

Baby walkers have been popular for decades. Your parents may have even used one when you were a baby. But experts say that there's really no scenario where baby walkers are safe for babies, nor are they helpful in teaching your baby the skills they need to walk. That’s why the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has called for a ban on baby walkers. Despite their recommendation, however, baby walkers remain on the market today.

Learn more about why baby walkers are dangerous, what actually helps your baby learn to walk, and safe alternatives to baby walkers you can use instead.

What Is a Baby Walker?

Several baby products are meant to be used when your baby starts to stand upright and walk, including baby activity centers and push walkers. But baby walkers are different and have specific risky characteristics, says Holly Choi, an infant and toddler safety educator and co-owner of Safe Beginnings First Aid.

“Baby walkers, for the purpose of this discussion, are fully contained baby seats on rolling wheels/casters that babies can move with their legs from a seated position before they are about to walk unassisted,” says Choi. “Baby walkers allow for the child’s feet to make contact with the floor, allowing them to propel themselves along the floor.”

These types of devices—where your baby is held upright in a suspended seat in a device with a metal frame and wheels—are exactly what the AAP advises strongly against using.

Why Baby Walkers Aren't Safe

The main reason that the AAP has called for a ban on baby walkers is that they can cause serious injuries in children. Nowadays, fewer parents are using baby walkers, which is helpful. But in the years when baby walkers were still very popular, injuries from baby walkers were a common reason for emergency room visits for babies 15 months and younger.

For example, a study published in Pediatrics found that between 1990 and 2014, an estimated 230,676 children under 15 months visited emergency rooms because of injuries from baby walkers. Of these, over 90% involved head and neck injuries.

You might think it’s OK to use a baby walker if you keep an eye on your baby while they're using it, but the AAP reports that injuries involving baby walkers can happen within a few seconds, and most injuries happen while the baby is being watched. Parents and caregivers often don’t have enough time to respond before tragic accidents happen involving baby walkers.

Falls

The vast majority of injuries involving baby walkers occur when a baby falls down a flight of stairs in their baby walker. In the study in Pediatrics, over 74% of the injuries reported were from falling down stairs.

“A child in a walker can move quickly,” explains Loretta Cody, MD, a pediatrician and adjunct instructor at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut. “They may fall down stairs or bump into things before a parent can stop them. This may lead to different types of significant injuries including head injuries and broken bones.”

Burns

When a baby becomes mobile while using a baby walker, they can reach places they normally cannot. This can increase the chances that they will encounter something hot enough to burn them. This may include hot foods, radiators, stove handles, and space heaters, notes the AAP.

When babies use walkers, they are at a higher level and can reach things that may be harmful to them, says Dr. Cody. “For example, they may pull at a tablecloth and something on the table may fall on them,” she says. “If this is hot coffee, they can get burned.”

Drowning

Drowning is also a concern when it comes to baby walkers, as babies can quickly move themselves to places where drowning can occur. Drowning while using a baby walker can happen in pools, bathtubs, and even toilets.

“Babies can fall into pools or tubs in the walker by reaching and falling in,” explains Preeti Parikh, MD, pediatrician and executive medical director at GoodRx.

Access to unsafe objects

In a baby walker, your infant may collide into kitchen cabinets or walls, says Choi. Your baby may also be able to reach unsafe objects like knives, scissors, batteries, and even medications.

If they put medications or other unsafe objects in their mouth, this could lead to dangerous consequences, she adds. The AAP warns that baby walkers increase the risk of your baby being poisoned.

Baby Walkers and Learning To Walk

Many parents use a baby walker because they think it will help their infant learn to walk, but this isn't the case. In fact, baby walkers can encourage poor walking habits, says Dr. Parikh.

“When an infant is placed in a walker, it promotes using their legs to try to walk, but when we want our infants to learn to walk, it is not only about the legs,” Dr. Parikh explains. “The infant’s ability to pull themselves up to stand and be able to balance their weight is actually more important in promoting walking.”

Ultimately, it’s better for your baby to pull themselves up, such as near a sofa, and then practice cruising than to move their legs in a walker, she adds. Additionally, says Dr. Parikh, baby walkers promote “toe walking,” which can be detrimental to your child as they are learning to walk.

Safe Alternatives to Baby Walkers

It’s understandable to want to use something like a baby walker as your little one gets closer to walking. Babies enjoy standing upright and practice their skills, and parents are always looking for ways to keep their babies entertained. But there are much safer devices out there that do both of these things.

Upright activity center

First, you may want to consider an upright activity center for your baby. “They have no wheels and infants can not only rotate in them but also can pull themselves up to stand,” says Dr. Parikh. Activity centers often also have fun visuals, light-up elements, buttons to press, songs that play, and more.

Play yard or playpen

If you are looking to keep your child safely contained, play yards or playpens are safe, says Dr. Parikh. You can also use baby play dividers to block off certain areas in your home so your baby can safely cruise around. If your baby is old enough to cruise, make sure to remove anything unsafe out of their reach—you’d be surprised how quickly babies start to be able to get around!

Push walker

If you’d like your baby to hold onto something as they walk, you may want to consider a “push walker,” which doesn't involve putting your baby in a baby seat with wheels.

“If the caregiver’s goal is to encourage walking, ‘push walkers,’ are standing activity stations that do not contain a baby seat,” says Choi. “Therefore the risk of a child picking up enough speed to cause a traumatic injury is removed.”

The AAP says “push walkers,” like push cars or push wagons, can be a good alternative to baby walkers, especially if they are sturdy.

Helping Your Infant Learn To Walk Without a Baby Walker

The truth is, you don't need to do anything special to help your baby learn to walk. Just give your child a safe area where they can explore and freely move their body.

Dr. Parikh suggests giving your baby floor time near a sofa or another place where they can safely pull themselves up to stand. “Sit on one side of the sofa and encourage them to cruise over to you,” she recommends. “You can also let them hold the sofa with one hand and hold onto you with the other hand for walking.”

The one thing Dr. Parikh warns against is keeping your baby in a bouncy chair or stroller for prolonged periods. “It's important your baby has a lot of floor time to help with mobility and build those muscles,” she says.

“There is no rush to getting your child to walk,” Dr. Cody assures. “They will develop at their own pace.” She explains that at your baby's 1-year-old checkup, the doctor will discuss your baby’s progress with walking. If your little one can pull up and cruise at that point, it’s unlikely their pediatrician will be too concerned about walking, even if your baby isn’t taking steps yet.

Dr. Cody suggests that you continue to stay in touch with your baby's pediatrician about their progress and let them know if you have any concerns.