A young Georgia girl died recently when she became entangled in the cords on her window blinds, reports this article from ABC News. Six-year-old Christina Reed was alone in her room for only 10 minutes before the accidental strangulation occurred, according to her parents.
One hundred and thirty children have been strangled by the cords in window blinds during the past 10 years, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Until this most recent death, all of the victims were infants and toddlers whose cribs had been placed near the windows. Blind cords pose one of the greatest strangulation risks to children 3 and under.
Just nine months ago, the CPSC recalled millions of horizontal window blinds because of the danger, says this CNN article. Although window blinds manufactured since 1995 don't have pull cords that form a loop that can strangle a child, many blinds still have inner cords that can form a loop. The recall is designed to provide a fix for the inner cord problem, according to a press release from the CPSC.
To protect your children, the CPSC recommends keeping all window cords and chains out of their reach. Cribs and beds should never be placed near windows or within reach of the cords. If you can't avoid having the child's bed near a window, the CPSC recommends purchasing cordless window coverings. For a free repair kit for existing blinds, call 1-800-506-4636 or go to www.windowcoverings.org.
