(NC)—Do you use a baby walker to keep your baby entertained? Do you use a baby bath seat because it keeps your hands free for baby's bath?

These two products are popular with some parents because they are believed to be convenient. But Safe Kids Canada strongly advises parents not to use them.

"Children have fallen down stairs in walkers and suffered head injuries, and children in baby bath seats have drowned," says Allyson Hewitt, executive director of the national injury prevention program. "Neither product is something you need to look after your baby. They're not worth the risk."

Some parents like to use walkers, she adds, because they believe that babies will learn to walk more quickly. "Research shows this isn't true," says Ms Hewitt. She adds that parents often think they're protected if their home has baby gates at the top of stairs, but this is a dangerous assumption. Many falls in walkers occurred when gates were left open.

As for bath seats, "the problem is that they provide a false sense of security," says Ms Hewitt. "Some parents have mistakenly assumed that these were safety devices." It is never safe to leave a baby alone in the bath, she stresses. But that doesn't eliminate the risk; some babies nearly drowned even when their parents were in the bathroom. The suction cups on the bottoms of the bath seats did not stick properly, and the babies fell into the water.

Safe Kids Canada has produced a "Check It Out" booklet on product safety with more information about these products as well as warnings about cribs, baby gates, bunk beds, and more. The free booklet is available in more than 5,000 pharmacies across the country during Safe Kids Week, June 2 to 8. It has been made available due to a generous grant from Johnson & Johnson and McNeil, and can be picked up next to Johnson & Johnson product displays in participating stores. Detailed information is also available on the Safe Kids Canada Web site at www.safekidscanada.ca. and 1 888 SAFE TIPS (1-888-723-3847).

- News Canada

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