Online Sales of Banned Baby Walkers in Canada Spark Safety Recall

Vevor 4-in-1 baby walkers are being recalled in Canada over safety concerns. Baby walkers have been banned in Canada for more than 20 years. Health Canada handout image

Baby walkers that were available for purchase online in violation of Canada’s more than two-decade ban on such products are being recalled due to their classification as “physical hazard.”

Health Canada has issued a recall notice for the Vevor 4-in-1 baby walker, which was sold on Wayfair.ca, an online homeware retailer based in the United States.

The baby walker made by Do Home Inc. transitions between a seated walker, walk-behind support, rocker, and bouncer, and comes with a cushioned seat and an interactive music tray, according to the July 6 advisory.

Thirty-eight units of the affected products were sold in Canada between April and June, Health Canada said. It noted that the manufacturer had not received any injury reports as of June 26.

“Children in baby walkers are exposed to hazards that would not normally be accessible if the child were not supported by the walker, posing a variety of risks of injury to the child,” the federal agency said in its advisory. “Children in baby walkers can also fall down the stairs, which could result in injury or death.”

The recall notice advises consumers to immediately stop using the product and to take measures to prevent its future use after disposal.

Customers can visit Do Home Inc’s website, or email the company for more information about the recall, the advisory says.

22-Year Ban

Canada was the first country to implement a ban on the sale, advertising, and import of baby walkers, citing a significant number of injuries among children caused by the devices.

The ban went into effect in April of 2004 following an announcement by then-Health Minister Pierre Pettigrew.

“Typically, incidents linked to baby walkers involve head injuries that result from falls down stairs,” Pettigrew said in a 2004 statement. “However, other injuries occur when the child in the baby walker is able to reach dangerous objects that are otherwise inaccessible.”

Health Canada defines baby walkers as enclosed activity structures designed to support a baby or young child in either a sitting or standing position so their feet can touch the floor.

Walkers are equipped with wheels or a mechanism that allows independent horizontal movement. The agency warns that removing the wheels from the product does not make it a stationary activity centre.

Baby walkers were subject to a voluntary retail industry ban prior to the official ban in 2004 due to the number of injuries being sustained by youngsters. The unofficial ban was introduced in 1989, and an official ban was put in place 15 years later because baby walkers continued to enter the Canadian market.