This is a judgment call that all parents must make. Some parents like the peace of mind that comes with having their stairs completely cordoned off, but there are potential dangers with baby stair gates. For instance, if your toddler scales a baby gate at the top of the stairs going down, they’re more likely to become injured than if there were no gate at all. The alternative is to use doors or baby gates in doorways to restrict your child's movements when you're not there — and to teach your child how to safely ascend and descend the stairs from an early age.