Kylie Jenner's fans are not happy Stormi is using a baby walker
Kylie Jenner’s daughter Stormi is an Instagram favourite – but her latest video of the infant is raising eyebrows for featuring a device that is banned in Canada.
In a new video uploaded to her Instagram stories, Jenner shared footage of her eight-month-old daughter playing in a bright pink walker. While it may look like a fun exercise for babies to learn to walk, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) say the devices may actually delay development and pose a serious risk to young children.
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According to a new study, more than 200,000 children under the age of 15 months were treated for walker-related injuries between the years 1990 to 2014. A majority of cases were head and neck related injuries with nearly 74 per cent of all injuries caused from babies falling down the stairs in their walkers.
The data further supports a long-standing push by the AAP for a ban on all baby walkers. Although injury rates have declined since industry safety standards were implemented in 2010, the AAP is holding firm on their desire to proceed on a ban of infant walkers altogether.
Aside from risk of injury, a 1999 study that analyzed infant motor skills and development revealed that infants who used walkers sat, crawled and walked later than children who were never put in the device and scored lower on the scale of mental and motor development.
In 2004, baby walkers were banned in Canada after Health Canada collected data that revealed more than 1,900 babies between five and 14 months were treated for injuries between 1990 and 2002. These statistics were enough for a ban on manufacturing the device to become law, although retailers across the country had voluntarily chosen not to sell the controversial item for nearly fifteen years.
It is now illegal to manufacture, import or advertise the sale of walkers; likewise, parents are prohibited from selling used walkers. By law, the penalty is a fine of up to $100,000 or six months in jail.
The video was posted to a Jenner fan account, raising concerns with several of Jenner’s fans.
“Walker is not good for babies,” one fan warned. “Please consult with a professional.”
The comment prompted another to chime in, “Finally, someone with this opinion. I don’t understand why they push babies to do something that they should learn by themselves.”
After experiencing the wrath of Kylie’s fans, one woman took to Twitter to voice her concerns. “I made a comment about walker use on a Kylie Jenner insta stan page, and some parents are really coming for me. lmao. Y’all ridiculous. Some parents get offended when you correct them. Parenting a lot of the times is simply trial and error. Not willing to learn from new information is doing your child a disservice.” The woman then went on to link to an article that warns parents about the dangers of infant walkers.
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