The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced a voluntary recall this week of Suntech baby walkers (like the kind pictured above.) Apparently, the recalled walkers can fit through a standard doorway and fail to have sufficient stair-fall protection to keep kids from walking right out of the room and falling down the stairs. Babies using these walkers can be seriously injured or killed if they fall down stairs. 

 

The CPSC hasn't released info about just how many accidents (if any) have been caused by these baby walkers, but they are asking consumers to continue reporting incidents at their recall website:

 

I've never been a big fan of walkers in general for this reason. Trust me, babies walk soon enough, and before you know it, they are into EVERYTHING. Why get started any earlier than you have to?  

 

But it is good to know that the CPSC issued a new mandatory rule on baby walkers that becomes effective on Dec. 21, 2010. The walkers will be required to either:

1) be too wide to fit through a standard doorway, or

2) have features, such as a gripping mechanism, to stop the walker at the edge of a step.