On Memorial Day, May 27, 2002 our daughter April was strangled to death by the inner lift cord of the venetian blinds. The loss of a child is something that no parent should ever have to experience, however more and more children continue to suffer this trajedy.
April was only 14 months old. She was a beautiful, spirited, and inquisitive little girl who was strangled by only 12 inches of the inner lift cord in a set of mini blinds.
This danger occurs when a corded blind or shade is lowered, leaving a small amount of slack in the inner cord. Children are able to grasp and pull the slackened cord and wrap it around their necks.
Many children have died even after a parent has placed the cords out of their children's reach. Children are able to climb on top of furniture and reach the cords that are in cleats or on hooks. A child can strangle in a matter of minutes, while the caregiver goes to the bathroom, answers the phone or aids another child. It only takes 4 minutes for a child to strangle to death.
A Consumer Product Safety Commission study reports that 49% of the deaths from window cord strangulations are not being reported to the CPSC. The mortality rate from window cords makes them among the greatest strangulation threat to children ages 3 years and younger, however elementry children are affected also. The oldest child to die was 12 years old!!!!!!!!
Window Blinds will continue to kill our children until the manufacturers are forced to change their designs and companies refuse to sell unsafe products. The recall in November 2000 by the Consumer Product Safety Commission HAS NOT reduced the number of deaths per year. Every two weeks a child dies from window cord strangulation. There have been more than 23 deaths and at least 3 near strangulations since our daughter's, that we know of. The only safety measure that is 100% effective is to remove your blinds from your home. |
