Original; see modified release: No. of Children Who Strangle in Window Cords Has Been
Under-reported
NEWS from CPSC
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Office of Information and Public Affairs
Washington, DC 20207
This is the original of a document that has been modified. To see the modified version, click here
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
June 3, 1997
(301) 504-7908
Release # 97-136
The Number of Children Who Strangle in Window Cords Has Been
Under-reported According to a new study in JAMA
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- About half of the deaths of children who
strangle in window cords have not been reported, according to
an article in this week's Journal of the American Medical
Association and co-authored by a staff member of the U.S.
Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
The study found that 49 percent of the total number of window
cord strangulations in the United States were not being
reported to the CPSC. The study estimates that total number
from 1981 to 1995 was 359. These figures mean that nearly one
child is strangling in window cords every two weeks. Almost
all of these deaths (93 percent) are children three years old
and under.
"Having this study published in a journal as highly regarded
as JAMA will help bring attention to a hidden hazard that we
have been trying to help eliminate since I came to the
Consumer Product Safety Commission in 1994," said CPSC
Chairman Ann Brown. "Because of this study and the attention
it generates, hundreds of young lives could be saved."
The study was co-authored by Renae Rauchschwalbe, a Compliance
Officer at CPSC and Clay Mann, Ph.D. from the Department of
Emergency Medicine, Oregon Health Sciences University,
Portland. It is the first study to so thoroughly investigate
how these deaths occur.
The study shows that strangulation deaths from window cords
happen most often when children are in places their parents
think are safe: in a crib or in a child's bedroom. The
study also points out that the deaths are silent -- the
children can't call out for help. In 85 percent of the
documented cases, parents were at home at the time of the
incident.
According to the study, there are two common ways children
strangle in these cords. Infants in cribs near windows get
tangled in the looped cords while sleeping or playing; and
toddlers, trying to look out a window, climb on furniture,
lose their footing, and get caught in the window cords.
The mortality rate from window cords makes them among the
greatest strangulation threats to children three years old and
younger. Other products that present a strangulation hazard to
children in the home and have been redesigned include strings
on pacifiers, recliner chairs, accordion-style baby gates and
electric garage doors. Eight-six percent of the window
coverings involved in the incidents are venetian blinds or
mini-blinds. Another nine percent are venetian-type vertical
blinds.
To address the problem of window cord strangulations, CPSC
brought together industry representatives in 1994. As a
result of that meeting, the Window Covering Safety Council
agreed to eliminate the loops in future production of window
cords and to provide free safety tassels for consumers.
Production of safer cords began in 1995. In addition, and at
CPSC's urging, the industry recently agreed to a voluntary
standard that eliminates all loops on miniblind cords and
requires the use of a tensioning device on the continuous loop
cords that are used primarily in vertical blinds. The
industry expects all production to meet the new standard by
September, 1997.
CPSC has also been working to educate parents on the dangers
of blind cords through safety alerts, a series of national
"Baby Safety Showers" and through mailings and posters sent to
pediatricians.
"This is a hidden hazard that all parents should eliminate
immediately. What parents need to know is that they can do
something to prevent these tragedies," Brown said. "They can
cut the loops of window cords, put on safety tassels, and move
their furniture away from blind cords. These simple
precautions can prevent a parent's worst nightmare."
Parents can get safety tassels and tie downs by calling the
Window Covering Safety Council toll free at 1-800-506-4636.
For safety information on window cords, call the CPSC Hotline
at 1-800-638-2772.