We are well aware of the dangers of children playing or going near an open window and the falls that can result. But what about when children get near a closed and secured window? Are they still at risk for injury? If there is a window blind, shade, or cord associated with that window, the answer may be “yes” according to a new study by Onders et al. (10.1542/peds.2017-2359). The authors used data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) to perform a nice observational study of window injuries associated with these accessories from 1990 to 2015. While the numbers are not high if one looks over the period of time studied, one still finds 16,827 injuries involving children under 6 years of age seen in emergency departments, most involving being struck by a blind or becoming entangled in a cord.
Sadly, 155 of 231 entanglement episodes ended in death. The authors call for better safety standards for window blind cords than currently exist, and after reading this article, we think you’ll be in accord with their findings and hopefully even ask families how secure the cords and blinds are around the windows in their homes. Let us know if you discover more safety issues than you thought you would in regard to preventing injuries from these common window accessories.
