Vandalia, Ohio, March 30, 2006 - According to a new study by the Center for Injury Research and Policy in Columbus, Ohio, mobile infant walkers have been the cause of nearly 200,000 injuries among children 15 months and younger in the past 12 years. The new study, published in the March 2006 issue of Pediatrics, shows the use of stationary activity centers, such as the Evenflo® ExerSaucer®, is the safe alternative.
The study found a 76 percent decrease in the number of walker-related injuries from 1990-2001. The number of walker related injuries remained relatively constant from 1990 through 1994, averaging 23,000 cases per year, but by 2001, reported injuries had dropped to just 5,100. The study also reported that despite specific revisions to the design of mobile infant walkers, safety is still a top concern as parents often remove the updated safety mechanisms.
According to Safe Kids Worldwide, in 2003 more than 3,700 children ages four and under were treated in hospital emergency rooms for infant walker-related injuries. Three out of four children who fall in walkers also fall down the stairs, which can result in severe head injuries and hospitalization.
"There's a strong correlation between the dramatic decrease in walker-related injuries and the introduction of the first stationary activity center, the ExerSaucer," said Dr. Laura Jana, pediatrician and member of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Section on Injury, Violence and Poison Prevention. “Stationary activity centers allow children to exercise their legs while playing and learning, but without the dangers of falling.”
As the dangers of mobile infant walkers became more evident, there was a defined need for an alternative product. To keep baby safe, Evenflo took the lead more than 10 years ago and developed the first stationary activity center--the Evenflo ExerSaucer. The
ExerSaucer allows baby to get plenty of exercise with bounce, rock and spin actions without the dangers of injury.
“The study tells me that while baby-walker injuries have fallen dramatically, there are still a significant number of infants getting hurt,” said Jana, Associate Director of the Boy's Town Center for Child Health Improvement. “Parents should simply not use baby walkers, but should consider stationary activity centers as a safe alternative.”
The American Academy of Pediatrics continues to call on the United States government to ban mobile infant walkers in order to prevent further infant injuries. The complete study, titled Success in the Prevention of Infant Walker-Related Injuries: An Analysis of National Data, 1990-2001, can be found online at
www.pediatrics.org.
Committed to innovation, safety and comfort for more than 85 years, Evenflo has been the trusted name in everything babies need to grow, go, play and thrive. From bottles and high chairs to carriers and car seats, Evenflo creates inspired products for today’s active families worldwide. Evenflo regularly taps into its Safe Baby and Toddler Council, a group comprised of experts from key areas in the field of child care, to provide product insights and research.
From breast pumps and stationary activity centers to carriers and car seats, Evenflo creates inspired products for today’s active families worldwide. Evenflo taps into groups like Safe Baby and Toddler Council, a group comprised of experts from key areas in the field of child care, to provide product insights and research. More information can be found at www.evenflo.com.