"Baby walkers slow down childrens' development" is the message to parents from a student nurse at the University of Dundee.
Joy Halleron has produced a new tabloid style leaflet to grab the attention of parents who she says are not aware of the dangers that babywalkers pose to their children. "The research is out there, but not too many people know how dangerous baby walkers are" says Joy.
In her new leaflet, designed by the health promotion department at Fife Primary Care, she tells parents that babies are 12 times more likely to be injured on stairs if they are in a baby walker, that the walkers are associated with more injuries than any other single item of baby equipment and that 90 % of all babywalker injuries affect the child's head or face.
Longer term effects of the walkers are stunted development. Recent research shows that for every day a babywalker is used, the child will display a delay of 3.3 days in walking alone and 3.7 days in standing alone.
Joy, a final year nursing student in the School of Nursing and Midwifery explains: "The research provided evidence to suggest that babywalkers are linked to considerable delays in achieving normal mobility milestones."
Joy compiled her information from recent research conducted at University College Dublin and from findings in a British Medical Association journal and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents.
Contact Joy Halleron 01592 712812
By Jenny Marra, Press Officer 01382 344910 j.m.marra@dundee.ac.uk