Consumer Reports has joined growing calls to ban infant walkers in the United States, years after Canada implemented a law banning the sale and importation of such products.

In 2018, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, based in Columbus, Ohio, released a study indicating that between 1990 and 2014, 230,676 children were treated in emergency rooms in the United States for injuries sustained during use of infant walkers. The study noted that injuries declined after 2010, when federal authorities implemented stricter safety standards for walkers.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has long recommended against the use of infant walkers.

Federal rules require baby walkers to have four features:

– Prevention of falls on stairs
– Resistance to tipping
– Dynamic and static load tests on the seating area
– Occupant retention

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Consumer Reports says these rules don’t go far enough.

“The evidence is clear: baby walkers are not safe, and the current federal standard fails to address well-known risks,” CR policy advisor Oriene Shin said in a report. “Thousands of babies continue to be harmed by these products every year, and parents deserve better choices when it comes to products that support their baby’s development. Congress should ban infant walkers and help parents keep their babies safe as they grow and learn to walk.

Shin notes that there have been numerous recalls of baby walkers. But the fact that these items can be resold online remains a concern.

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“Parents and guardians have countless options online and need to be able to trust that any baby product they purchase will be safe,” Shin said in the report. “The fact that consumers are faced with dangerous products like old infant walkers that do not meet current U.S. standards and are banned elsewhere should be a rare exception – not the norm. Platforms should take their responsibility much more seriously to prevent the publication of dangerous baby products and respond quickly when they become aware of a danger.

Without a ban, Consumer Reports says consumers should avoid these products.