Corded Blinds Have Been Banned Because of Child Strangulation Deaths

In response to tragic accidental strangulation deaths and injuries in young children, a ban on the manufacturing of corded blinds recently went into effect. In accordance with the new regulations, products used to cover windows must be either cordless or have short cords that are entirely out of reach for little ones.

According to a study published by the American Academy of Pediatrics in January, there were nearly 17,000 window blind-related injuries among children under the age of 6 between 1990 and 2015. An average of two children per day were brought to the emergency room as a result of these injuries. Additionally, the Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that there were 50 deaths caused by window blind cords between 2012 and 2017.

In response to these injuries and deaths, the Window Covering Manufacturers Association announced a ban of corded blinds in a statement released in January. “The new safety standard is a direct result of ongoing industry innovation, technological advances and new product development,” Ralph Vasami, executive director of the WCMA said in a statement.

“A curious child can quickly get entangled in a window blind cord,” Gary Smith, senior author of the study and director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, said in the statement. “This can lead to strangulation within minutes, and the parent may not hear a thing because the child often can’t make a sound while this is happening.”

Vasami noted that the revised safety standards are based on incident data and will have “the most significant and immediate impact on reducing the strangulation risk to young children from certain window covering cords.”

Thanks to this new ban, toddlers will be safer in their own homes — and fewer devastated parents will be forced to issue warnings to other parents about the dangers of corded blinds.

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