Toddler died after getting tangled in window blinds cord, police say
GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY/Gray News) - Police in Wisconsin say a 2-year-old died after getting tangled in the pull cord attached to bedroom blinds.
The Brown County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the case an accidental death from asphyxiation, WBAY reports.
Police were called to a house in Green Bay last Thursday for a report of a child that was unconscious and wasn’t breathing. The toddler was found tangled in the pull cord of bedroom blinds, according to police.
The investigation is still open.
Police are reminding parents and caregivers to take precautions to keep dangling cords out of children’s reach or invest in cordless window coverings.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission says an average of nine children under the age of 5 are fatally strangled every year in window coverings with cords, including blinds, shades and draperies.
From 2009 through 2021, there were more than 200 strangulation incidents involving window cords and children ages 8 and younger. Nearly half of those incidents (48%) were fatal. Some of those who survived suffered life-changing injuries, including permanent brain damage and quadriplegia.
The CPSC advises:
- Keep all window covering cords out of the reach of children
- Move all cribs, beds, furniture and toys away from windows and window covering cords, preferably to another wall
- Make pull cords as short as possible to eliminate any dangling cords
- Ensure that cord stops are installed properly and adjusted to limit the movement of inner lift cords
- Anchor continuous-loop cords for draperies and blinds to the floor or wall
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