Monday, February 12, 2007

Throw Out Your Baby Walkers!


Today was Liam's 6 month check-up. He weighed in at 21 lbs and measured 28 3/4 inches. This puts him in the 94th and 97th percentiles for weight and height. If you know my family, than these stats are par for the course. Everyone is freakishly tall in my family.

While at the doctor's office, the nurse handed me the usual packet of information for this stage of Liam's development. Right after the page on diaper rash (they ALWAYS include this one) there is a sheet on the evils of baby walkers. I'm sorry, but I had to laugh at the alarmist information that the sheet contained. Did you know that "most walker injuries happen while adults are watching" because "parents cannot respond quickly enough." Apparently "a walker can move more than 3 feet per second!" Oh, my! Did you know that babies can drown in a toilet or be poisoned by having greater access to "high objects" in a walker. Ironically, they suggest that a high chair is a safer place for your baby to play. Because, apparently, they can't reach "high objects" in a high chair or possibly fall more than three feet.

Maybe I'm just callous, but if you're stupid enough to leave your baby at the top of stairs or unattended in the kitchen or bathroom in a walker, then you probably shouldn't be having children. Just like many things in this world, a little logical thinking could have avoided the "estimated 8,800 injuries to babies" due to baby walkers in 1999. My in-laws purchased a walker for Liam for Christmas and it is perfectly safe. It won't actually move on carpet and is too large to fit through any doorways. Since I don't have stairs either, I don't think I have to worry about any of the possible injuries they mention. Walk on baby, walk on.

1 comment:

Rae said...

Reminds me of Foamy's rant on "Accidents in the Home" lol