the surprising source of injury inside your home

A top cause of injury for children under six years old in Maryland is window blind cords. It may seem surprising, but window bling cords have been known as a hazard to young children for decades. Injuries can be mild or can cause death in some cases.

HOW WINDOW BLINDS POSE DANGER RISKS

There are a few different ways in which window blinds pose a risk of injury to children. It is rarely the window blinds themselves, but the cords of the blinds that cause the most damage.

MILD CORD INJURIES

Mild personal injury results most often when a child is hit by a cord. This can happen if a taut cord is released too quickly or snaps back from an encumbrance. These types of injuries are often mild but still can cause cuts and burns to the hands, face and arms.

SEVERE CORD INJURIES

Severe personal injury can occur when a child becomes entangled in a window blind cord. Entanglement is the most dangerous way a child can be injured by cords. Often, these injuries involve the cord becoming wrapped around the child’s neck. As you can imagine, this can cause minor injuries but can also result in serious injuries including death from suffocation.

PREVENTING CORD INJURIES

The best way to prevent injuries from window blind cords is to never allow your child to be alone in a room with cords. Even when cords are tied high out of children’s reach, some will climb to play with them. This is especially true if the cords are near the child’s bed. Because the airway is cut off when a cord is wrapped around a child’s neck, they are unable to yell for help.

Taking steps to keep children from blind cords is the best way to prevent a potentially deadly accident.