By David Klassen
Parliamentary secretary Eve Adams, with Health Canada engineer Tyler Goodier, held a blind cord demonstration at IKEA in Ottawa this week to warn Canadian parents and caregivers about how easily children can be strangled by corded window coverings. (HANDOUT)
A warning from Health Canada about corded window coverings is prompting some parents and caregivers to make the switch to cordless.
Each year, the federal government receives reports of children getting tangled in blind cords with fatal or near fatal results.
“If you cannot replace your corded window coverings, make sure cords are always tied up high and out of reach of children, whether blinds are up or down,” parliamentary secretary Eve Adams said this week.
The issue has even resulted in an advocacy group to be formed to warn others of the potential dangers involved.
Candace Allard, a member of Parents for Window Blind Safety, found her 14-month-old daughter, Bella, strangled by a blind cord while napping.
Health Canada recommends homes where children live or visit replace corded window coverings with ones that are cordless, especially in children’s rooms and places where children play. Strangulation can happen even when children are in places where parents think they are safe, such as in a crib or in a bedroom. Any type of blind cord, including cords on the side, inside, or on the back of a window covering, is a strangulation risk for children.
More information can be found by visiting healthycanadians.gc.ca.
