By
Claudia Boyd-Barrett
From the Parenting category
As you make your home safe for children, window coverings should not be overlooked.
According to a recent study in Pediatrics, window coverings—especially those with hanging cords—result in nearly two children visiting the ER each day.
Researchers discovered that between 1990 and 2015, close to 17,000 children under six years old were hospitalized due to injuries from window blinds, with many becoming entangled in the cords.
Most injuries involved cuts, bruises, or scrapes on the head. However, more severe incidents occurred roughly once a month, when a child died from strangulation by a blind cord, according to the study.
In many cases, parents were at home but had briefly left their children unattended—while the kids were sleeping, playing, or watching TV alone.
Because the study only tracked injuries that led to ER visits, the actual number of window-blind-related incidents is probably higher.
Manufacturers of window blinds are allowed to follow voluntary safety guidelines, but compliance is not mandatory.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has put forward mandatory safety rules that have not yet been adopted. These rules would force manufacturers to produce cordless window coverings or designs with cords that are inaccessible to children.
Physicians who spoke with Reuters noted that safety kits meant to secure blind cords are not always effective. They provided these recommendations to protect children:
• Supervise your children whenever they are near window coverings that have cords.
• If possible, swap out blinds with hanging cords for cordless versions or those with cords out of reach, especially in rooms where your kids spend the most time.
• Keep furniture away from windows to prevent children from climbing up and accessing blinds.
• Point baby monitors or security cameras toward windows during nighttime or whenever your child is left alone in a room.
What measures have you implemented to make your window coverings child-safe? Which strategies have worked best for you?
This post was first published on the BabyCenter Blog.
