Baby walkers...when will they be discontinued?

In developed countries such as Canada, Australia, and many U.S. states, the dangers of baby walkers have been recognized for so long that governments have banned their sale, and the public has stopped buying and using them for over a decade. And it’s no surprise why—these countries have extensive data and clear statistics.

For example, in the United States, even 20 years ago, baby walkers caused 24,000 injuries in children. Only seven years later, that number rose to 29,000 cases.

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Even in Thailand, research has shown that 1 in 3 children has been injured from using a baby walker.

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1) Structural hazards: tipping, falling, and serious injury

Most baby walkers have narrow bases and weak structures, making them prone to tipping over—especially when children move quickly and hit uneven floors, objects on the ground, walls, or posts. Injuries often occur to the arms, legs, face, neck, or head.

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But the danger becomes far more severe when a walker falls from a height—from upper floors, raised houses, or stairs without proper gates (or gates that parents forgot to lock). Many children have become disabled or have died from these incidents.

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2) Burns and scalds from hot objects

Aside from crashing into hard surfaces, walkers can easily propel a child into hot hazards—a table with a kettle, a rice cooker, or an iron cord.

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In a scalding incident, 30 seconds of contact with hot water can destroy skin so badly that skin grafts are needed. Severe burns may also cause shock from rapid fluid and electrolyte loss.

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3) Drowning risks—an unexpected but real cause of death

One risk many people never imagine: baby walkers can lead to drowning deaths.

Reports from Thailand and abroad document incidents where children in walkers rolled into ponds, pools, or water tanks, or tipped head-first into a bathtub, bucket, or even a toilet bowl.

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These may sound like minor accidents, but they are often fatal because they lead to brain damage from lack of oxygen, something extremely difficult—even impossible—for doctors to reverse.

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Why, then, are baby walkers still so popular in Thailand?

(Foreign parents are often shocked to see walkers still sold everywhere—from department stores to wet markets.)

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1… Misconceptions & misleading information

Many Thai parents believe walkers help children walk sooner. This belief has no scientific basis. In fact, research consistently shows the opposite:

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Baby walkers do not help children walk earlier—they actually delay walking.

A study from Singapore found that nearly 11% of regular walker users had delayed motor development. Parents will also notice that children in walkers tend to lean forward, tiptoe, and stiffen their legs—an unnatural and harmful posture for developing balance and proper walking form.

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2… Convenience for parents

Parents see walkers as a way to keep babies entertained and mobile while reducing the burden of constantly carrying them. As a result, even 5- to 6-month-old infants—far too young—are placed in walkers.

As long as people continue believing walkers are beneficial, manufacturers will make them, sellers will promote them, and buyers will keep purchasing them. Meanwhile, safety information—injury statistics, research findings, and warnings—barely makes a ripple, much like a stone dropped into the ocean.

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And so, Thai babies continue to be placed into baby walkers, with no real change in sight.