Hellobee Boards

I agree with @lawbee11: . I think they really only take a stand on the type of walker she pictured. And I think it's mostly because unsupervised kids fell down the stairs or walked off ledges in them...

I believe so. I think the walkers they are talking about enclose the child so he can't get out in his own, but enables him to move- so they could move towards the stairs and fall down them but not be able to get out of the chair. This is just a ride on toy that baby won't be able to actually ride on until he can hold himself up, and can get off by himself. At least that's my take.

Fwiw we have something similar that C got for her first birthday and she still uses it sometimes now, at 2- and it's one of the toys she and her friends tend to have fights over who gets to use it. So it's been in use way longer than most toys! But, she has fallen backwards from it and bumps her head when she leaned too far back. It happens.

I would call that a push/ride on toy, not a walker. I think of a walker as one of those things that is like an inner tube floaty but set on a wheel base. If you've got stairs, I'd make that an outdoor toy or basement toy.

@BabyBoecksMom: Falls account for a majority of the injuries but the article also says, "Burns account for 2% to 5% of walker-related injuries. Walkers also have been commonly associated with poisonings of infants under 1 year of age. These burns and poisonings are attributable to the increased access to these hazards afforded by an infant's increased mobility in a walker."

LO received something similar for her 1st birthday. It has buttons and lights (read: annoying toy), which she was way more interested in.

Once she was actually walking, she never used it like a walker. Instead, she would try to stand on it, and give me 45 heart attacks a day.

Moral of the story: it's cute ... kind of annoying ... I don't think it's dangerous if it's used properly ... but we'll get rid of it before LO2. Our space is small, and these things are huge!

@lawbee11: Whoa! I never thought of that!!

We have this ... it's the worst!

FWIW, my grandma bought it for LO, and I do love to take photos of her with it. My gma LOVES seeing her play with a toy she picked.

There's been some debate that the other type of walkers can cause motor and mental development delays. They are banned in Canada and selling one comes with a six figure fine.

http://consults.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/22/the-dangers-of-baby-walkers/

We have a push car similar to the one you posted. Both my girls have liked using it. I'm much more vigilant with it now that the older one can push the little one.

@PawPrints: others have addressed the safety concerns but I'll mention that my nephew has said toy and the talking elephant voice is truly obnoxious/whiney. It's the kind where I'd want to open it up and "accidentally" clip the wires.