Skip to main content
FamilyEducation
FamilyEducation
Family Education

FE-Menu

  • Pregnancy
    • <blank>
      • Pregnancy Tracker
      • Trying to Conceive
      • Signs & Symptoms
      • Pregnancy Health
    • <blank>
      • Baby Names
      • High Risk Pregnancies
      • Preparing for Baby
    • <blank>
      • Concerns & Complications
      • Labor & Delivery
      • Postpartum
  • Baby Names
    • <blank>
      • Browse All Baby Names (A-Z)
      • Top Names for Boys
      • Top Names for Girls
      • Baby Name Generator
    • <blank>
      • Baby Name Lists & Ideas
      • First Names By Origin
      • Browse All Last Names (A-Z)
      • Last Names by Origin
  • Babies
    • <blank>
      • Caring For Your Baby
      • Baby's Health
      • Feeding Your Baby
    • <blank>
      • Your Baby and Sleep
      • Baby's Growth & Development
      • Baby Hygiene
    • <blank>
      • Baby Safety
      • Baby Products
    • <blank>
  • Toddlers
    • <blank>
      • Toddler Growth and Development
    • <blank>
      • Toddler Behavior and Discipline
    • <blank>
      • Your Toddler and Sleep
  • Kids
    • <blank>
      • Health
      • Childhood Development
      • Fitness & Nutrition
      • Childhood Safety
    • <blank>
      • Communicating with Your Kids
      • Childhood Behavior and Discipline
      • Fostering Responsibility
      • Instilling Values & Manners
    • <blank>
      • Childcare
      • Neurodiversity in Kids
      • Adopting Children
  • Teens
    • <blank>
      • Teen Health
      • Teen Puberty & Sex
    • <blank>
      • Behavior & Discipline
      • Teen Social Development
    • <blank>
      • Values & Responsibilities
  • Activities
    • <blank>
      • Printables
      • Indoor Activities
      • Learning Activities
      • Arts and Crafts
      • Performing Arts
      • Food Activities
      • Outdoor Activities
    • <blank>
      • Books
      • TV
      • Movies
      • Online
      • Quizzes
      • Games
      • Celebrities
    • <blank>
      • Parties
      • Travel
      • Toys
      • Holidays
      • Gifts
  • Learning
    • <blank>
      • By Grade
      • By Subject
      • College
      • Preschool
    • <blank>
      • Back to School
      • Study Skills
      • Learning Styles
    • <blank>
      • Homeschooling
      • Parental Involvement
      • Your Child's School
  • Family Life
    • <blank>
      • Mom Life
      • Dad Life
      • Family Relationships
      • Having a Healthy Marriage
      • Divorce
    • <blank>
      • Health & Fitness
      • COVID Resources
      • Managing Your Home
      • Moving Your Family
      • Pets
    • <blank>
      • Family Finances
      • Work
      • Families and Food
  • NewslettersNewsletters
    Newsletters

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Babies
  3. Baby Safety
  4. Strangulation Hazards

Strangulation Hazards

Learn how to protect your child from strangulation hazards.
  • facebook share icon
  • pin
  • twitter share icon
  • email share icon
  • Print page icon

Strangulation Hazards

The first rule for preventing strangulation is never tie a pacifier, teether, or necklace around a baby's neck. The cord can catch on crib posts, toys, and pieces of furniture, among other things, and strangle a small child. Never tie one to the crib or playpen either. Remove bibs or other clothing tied around your baby's neck before putting him in the crib or playpen.

Pacifiers

Before government regulations were issued in 1977, pacifiers posed a serious choking hazard. The rules eliminated much of the problem by requiring pacifiers to be strong enough so that the parts don't separate and to have shields large enough to prevent baby getting the whole pacifier in his mouth.

Pacifiers can deteriorate with age, exposure to food, and sunlight, however, so check them regularly for wear. It's best to replace them every few months.

Safety Savvy

The chair industry has adopted voluntary guidelines for recliners that limit the size of the opening between the leg rest and the seat (and that require a warning label). If you shop for a new recliner, look for one that meets the voluntary guidelines. If you have an old recliner, don't leave it open.

Furniture and Juvenile Products

A baby can be strangled by anything he can get his head caught in. Common offenders are cribs, bunk beds, and playpens. Others that have proven dangerous on occasion are highchairs, baby carriers, strollers, and baby swings. To refresh your memory, read Crib and Bed Safety, Safe Playpens and Portable Cribs, and Safe Highchairs, for advice on how to use these products properly to minimize the risk.

One item of furniture you might not think about as dangerous is the recliner chair. Yet several children have died or suffered severe brain damage when their heads got caught in the folding mechanism. The CPSC says the typical victim was between 1 and 5 years old and had been left unsupervised. The child climbed onto the leg rest while the chair was in the reclining position, and his weight made the leg rest fold down. The child's head then got caught in the opening between the foot rest and the seat.

Ties That Bind

Cords for window blinds and draperies left dangling are accidents waiting to happen when there are children under age 5 around. The youngest become victims of strangulation most often when their cribs are placed near windows with cords. Kids ages 2 to 4 are most likely to become entangled when they climb onto furniture to look out a window where a cord is hanging loose.

Here are some possible safety fixes:

  • With a cord that is a loop, cut it in two pieces above the tassel and add a separate tassel at the end of each cord.
  • Install a cleat a few inches below the top of the shade that you can wrap the cord around.
  • Use a clamp or clothes pin to keep the cord gathered and out of reach.
  • For drapery cords, install a tie-down device.

Drawstring Dangers

In 1995, following strangulation deaths associated with drawstrings in clothing, the CPSC developed guidelines with manufacturers to eliminate these strings from outerwear. Clothing makers now use snaps, Velcro, buttons and elastic instead.

The danger is that the drawstrings can get caught on playground equipment, cribs, fences, or other items. Some kids have died or suffered serious injuries when their jacket strings got caught in school bus doors or in escalators.

If you have hand-me-downs such as hooded sweatshirts or jackets made before 1995, remove all the drawstrings. Strings around necks cause the most injuries, but jacket bottoms can be hazardous, too.

Was this article helpful?

Thank you for your feedback.

What's hot

  • Introducing Cereal to Infants BabiesWhen Can Babies Eat Cereal? (…
  • two babies playing in the playroom Babies12 Simple Developmental…
  • Toddler Takes Sips of Wine and Beer BabiesIs It Okay for Toddlers to…
  • Printable Month-by-Month Developmental Milestone Chart BabiesPrintable Month-by-Month…
NewslettersNewsletters
Your partner in parenting from baby name inspiration to college planning.
Family Education
FamilyEducation does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Your use of the site indicates your agreement to be bound by our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Information on our advertising guidelines can be found here.

FE Footer

  • Newsletter Center
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Editorial Policy
  • Editorial Team
  • Expert Panel
  • Medical Review Policy
  • Fact-Checking Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Site Map
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Terms of Use
  • Do Not Sell My Info (for CA Residents)
sandbox learning logo
Family Education is part of the Sandbox Learning family of educational reference sites for parents, teachers, and students. 

factmonster logoinfoplease logoTeacherVision logo

sandbbox logo
©2022 Sandbox Networks Inc. All rights reserved. Sandbox Learning is part of Sandbox & Co., a digital learning company.