It is estimated that 8,800 children younger than 15 months of age are treated in emergency rooms each year for injuries associated with walkers, and there have been 34 walker-related deaths reported since 1973.

“Most children get hurt in baby walkers from falling down stairs, which can cause broken bones and head injuries,” John Williams, M.D., emergency medical physician at Children’s Hospital, said.

For this reason, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission attempted to make walkers safer by mandating that all walkers had to be wider than a 36-inch doorway and have a braking mechanism that would stop the walker at the edge of a step. Still, these improvements do not prevent other injuries associated with walkers, such as cuts and abrasions, pinched fingers and toes, and burns and poisonings, which can occur because reaching high items such as hot appliances and poisonous substances is easier in a walker.

Despite these dangers, studies have shown that up to 90 percent of infants between 5 and 15 months use walkers. The main reason parents cite for purchasing walkers is to help their child learn to walk. However, research has shown that walkers do not help children learn to walk sooner and can possibly delay the development of certain motor skills.

“Baby walkers will not hasten but can actually hinder a child’s ability to walk,” Dr. Williams said. “And since children who use them are at higher risk for injury, it is best not to purchase one at all.”

There are safe alternatives to baby walkers, such as “stationary walkers,” which have no wheels but have seats that rotate and bounce. Play pens are also a safe place for children as they learn to sit, crawl or walk.