SWFL parents warn of strangulation risks associated with window coverings

The cords connected to your window blinds can be deadly, especially to kids younger than six.

One Cape Coral family learned this the hard way when their son almost died back in March when he got caught in the cords attached to the window treatments in his home.

His mother did not want to be identified, but says she left the room for less than two minutes. When she returned, her son was not breathing.

It was a scare that inspired another mother, Jamie Walsh, to change out the blinds on her windows.

“Just for peace of mind and safety. You don’t have to worry about anything going forward, and they look great,” Walsh said.

Her child, Henly, is full of energy and curiosity, and Walsh doesn’t want the dangling cords to put her child at risk.

“As a first time mom, I had no idea that was even a concern that your child could choke on them and worse,” Walsh said.

A study published last year in the Journal of Pediatrics shows nearly two children per day ended up in the ER for blind cord injuries.

And even worse, they found on average, one child per month died getting caught in them.

Scott Schwartz installs cordless blinds in homes across SWFL. He hopes his work will help save lives.

“It feels very good,” he said. “But any couple seconds, something could go wrong.”

Mothers like Walsh take comfort in the safety and security these window treatments provide.

“She’s grabbing at everything right now, and she can’t even walk. It lets us sleep well knowing that we don’t have to worry about everything,” Walsh said.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission says strangulation usually happens in children’s bedrooms and in living rooms, areas generally perceived by caregivers as safe places.

They suggest cordless or inaccessible cord window coverings in homes where young children live or visit.