Plunket hails baby-walker recall

The Plunket Society has applauded an importer's decision to recall a brand of baby-walker that did not have a required safety feature to stop it tumbling down stairs.

The Commerce Commission said yesterday that an importer had decided to withdraw the Chinese-made walkers from the local market after the commission had pointed out they did not meet local safety standards.

The walkers, sold in several Auckland shops from April, are identifiable by stickers on their frames with the wording "Everyone Love".

Plunket's national child safety adviser, Sue Campbell, said the organisation did not encourage the use of baby-walkers because of the injuries they could cause.

"Many people do not realise how dangerous baby-walkers can be and often use them as a convenient babysitting tool," she said.

"In fact, a baby can move around quickly and cover a lot of ground in one, potentially getting into places that aren't safe.

"The fact that this particular brand of baby-walker has been on sale in New Zealand without safety warnings or the required mechanisms to help prevent tipping is a concern."

The commission's director of fair trading, Deborah Battell, said the recalled baby-walkers had no assembly or maintenance instructions and could be dangerous when close to stairs or heaters.

- NZPA