
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, July 12, 1990                   TAG: 9008080210
SECTION: PARENTS' GUIDE                    PAGE: 15   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Sara Cox
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

WALKERS UNNEEDED, DANGEROUS

Children do learn to walk without walkers. As a matter of fact, Children magazine's December 1988 issue reported that not only do walkers not enhance walking skills and may increase the propensity of walking on tiptoes, but they are dangerous.

"Walkers and babies are top heavy: as a result, the walking device easily flips over, causing head injury. Further, children in walkers have fallen down stairs, into swimming pools and fireplaces. The walker increases the potential for serious harm; it enables a child to reach a table cloth or electric cord, pulling objects onto himself."

Cribs, partly because babies spend so much time in them, should be inspected thoroughly. Jim Myers of The Baby Store at Oak Grove Plaza said that crib slats should be no more than 2] inches apart. And, "go up and turn the spindles," he said. No finials (knobs) should be on cribs - unless it is a canopy or four-poster style.

In addition, the American Academy of Pediatrics warns about splinters and cracks on crib surfaces, as well as lead-free paint; no cross bars on crib sides; the lowered sides should be no more than 4 inches above the mattress; the mattress should be the same size as crib, to prevent gaps where arms or legs could be caught; and minimum rail height should be 22 inches from top of railing to mattress, at the lowest level.

by CNB