Will Baby Walker Help My Baby Learn to Walk?

The answer is no. Baby walkers can't help your baby learn to walk and actually a baby who uses baby walker may learn to walk about a month later than those who don't.

Babies learn to walk by watching their feet and legs move and if they use a walker they can't see how their lower body moves.

Is it Safe to Use a Baby Walker?

The American Academy of Pediatrics says that baby walkers can be dangerous for the following reasons:

	A child can fall down the stairs and get seriously injured.
	As the child can reach higher places, hazardous events like grabbing pot handles off the stove, spilling hot coffee by pulling the tablecloth off the table or reaching harmful or poisonous substances, can occur.
	A child can fall from a walker into a bathtub or pool which can lead to drowning.

Safety Guidelines

Despite the fact that new safety standards for baby walkers have been placed as early as 1997, baby walkers still have wheels which may lead to the hazards described above.
Don't buy your baby a walker and make sure that there are no walkers wherever your child is being cared for, such as child care centers or in someone else's home.

Practical Tips and Ideas

	Stationary activity centers—they look like walkers but have no wheels.
	Play yards or playpens— great safety zones for children as they learn to sit, crawl, or walk.

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