Automatic Injury Prevention in Decline in Babywalker Injuries

The use of babywalkers dates back to the mid-1600s, and over the years, countless educational campaigns aimed at parents and caregivers have stressed the need for close adult supervision, warning labels and stairway gates. Yet, a decline in babywalker-related injuries was not seen until the past decade. Researchers at Columbus Children's Research Institute (CCRI) on the campus of Columbus Children's Hospital, conducted a retrospective study of babywalker-related injuries from 1990-2001, revealing that automatic injury prevention strategies including product redesign and the introduction of new alternatives to walkers such as stationary activity centers, were associated with the eventual decline in injuries. The findings were presented on May 5 at the 2003 Pediatric Academic Societies' (PAS) annual meeting.

"For decades, substantial efforts to prevent babywalker-related injuries were directed toward improving caregiver education and awareness, but injuries did not decrease," said Brenda Shields, M.S., research coordinator for the Center for Injury Research and Policy at CCRI and a child safety expert. "This is because walkers give infants mobility before they are developmentally able to handle it. In fact, they can move at up to four feet per second. This means that even an athletic parent cannot react quickly enough to prevent injury. "

According to the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), an estimated 197,200 babywalker-related injuries occurred among children younger than 15 months from 1990 through 2001. The number of injuries remained constant from 1990 through 1994, averaging 23,000 cases per year. Following the introduction of stationary activity centers in the mid 1990s, which offered parents an alternative to mobile babywalkers, the number of injuries began to decrease. Further contributing to the decline in babywalker-related injuries, a voluntary babywalker performance standard (ASTM F977-96) to prevent stairway falls went into effect in the U.S. in July 1997. This standard requires walkers to be wider than a 36-inch doorway or to have a braking system designed to stop the walker if one or more wheels drop off the top of a stairway. Overall, there was a 76 percent decrease in the number of injuries during the 12-year period, 1990-2001, from 20,900 injuries reported in 1990 to 5,100 in 2001.

"The rapid decline in babywalker-related injuries in the U.S. beginning in the mid-1990s represents an important success story that can offer a lesson for prevention of other types of injury," Shields said. "While active injury-prevention strategies, such as educating parents on product safety and the use of warning labels, may work for some things, automatic injury-prevention strategies act like 'vaccines' to prevent problems from occurring. These automatic strategies are especially effective because they require no action on the part of the parent. By redesigning current products, we can begin to reduce other injury problems."

According to Shields, another example of using product redesign to improve safety is the introduction of cushioning rubberized surfaces for playgrounds. According to the NEISS, approximately three-fourths (79 percent) of playground injuries are the result of falls to the surface. "Many parents don't realize the risks that playground falls present to their children," said Shields. "By redesigning the surfaces used in playgrounds, many of these injuries can be prevented."

The Center for Injury Research and Policy is working at the local, state, national, and international levels to reduce death and disabilities caused by injuries. The Center will achieve this goal through research, education, advocacy, and advances in clinical care. The Center aims to improve the scientific understanding of injuries to children. The Center educates medical and public health professionals, policy makers, and the public about the importance of injuries and how to prevent them. More information about the Center for Injury Research and Policy is available by calling (614) 722-2400 or through the Center's Web site at http://www.injurycenter.org.

Columbus Children's Hospital ranks among the top 10 in National Institutes of Health research awards and grants to freestanding children's hospitals in the country. With nearly 500,000 patient visits each year, Children's Hospital is a 111-year-old pediatric healthcare network treating newborns through age 21. In 2002, the Children's Research Institute conducted more than 250 research projects and is the home of the Center for Injury Research and Policy along with other Centers of Emphasis encompassing gene therapy; molecular and human genetics; vaccines and immunity; childhood cancer; cell and vascular biology; developmental pharmacology and toxicology; and biopathology.

Pediatric Clinical Trials International (PCTI), a site management organization affiliated with the hospital, also coordinated more than 50 clinical trials. In addition to having one of the largest ambulatory programs in the country, Children's offers specialty programs and services. Each year, more than 75,000 consumers receive health and wellness education, and 2,000 students from 93 institutions and 500 residents receive training at Children's. More information on Children's Hospital of Columbus is available by calling (614) 722-KIDS (5437) or through the hospital's Web site at http://www.columbuschildrens.com.