Tragically at least 15 Australian children have died in incidents related to curtain and blind cords since the early 1990s. Most recently, two Victorian infants died after being strangled by cords in August and September 2009.
The cases described below occurred in Australia before 2009.
Case 1
While a mother was hanging out washing, her three year old daughter climbed on to a bed and played with incorrectly secured looped cords. The child managed to place the cord around her head and slipped from the bed. The mother found her daughter just a few minutes later, but she could not be revived.
Case 2
A 15-month-old child was placed in a cot for a sleep. The child woke up and started playing with looped cords alongside the cot.
The cords became entangled around the young child’s neck. The child eventually became tired and sat down in the cot. The cords strangled the child who was unable to be revived when found.
For more information on the risks and safety tips, please view the Consumer Affairs Victoria website or contact Consumer Affairs Victoria on 1300 55 81 81.
