Children Dangers - Baby Monitor Strangulation

For two Washington, D.C. parents, what should have marked a milestone in their 10-month-old daughter’s life instead resulted in tragedy when she was strangled by the cord of the video baby monitor meant to keep her safe. While they knew that the monitor would pose a danger to children if placed within reaching distance, they were not aware that their toddler had learned to pull herself up in her crib. They left her alone, the monitor attached to the rail of her crib, and returned to find her wrapped in the cord—the sixth death due to baby monitor strangulation in six years. In response to yet another fatality and growing concerns by consumer advocates, parents, and personal injury attorneys, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, CPSC, recently issued a recall of the devices, reported the Los Angeles Times in California.

Specifically, the agency recalled Chinese-made baby monitors distributed by Rhode Island company Summer Infant. Ranging in price from $60 to $300, over 40 versions of the monitors were sold by retailers across the country between January 2003 and February 2011. The recall addresses the monitors with video cameras.

While the company is offering new product labels and instructions for the monitors to consumers who call their toll-free number, 800-426-8627, the CPSC has also issued a public warning for parents concerning the correct usage of the devices.

Here are some of the agency’s recommendations for preventing infants and toddlers from becoming entangled in the monitors’ cords.

-Monitors should always be placed more that three feet away from the baby.

-Test the cords of monitors, including ones mounted on walls, to ensure children cannot grasp them from cribs, bassinets, or play yards.

-Tests on monitors should be performed periodically to ensure that, as children grow, they are still out of their reach.

-The sensor cords on movement monitors should not dangle. Check them often to make sure that they are taut and cannot be pulled down.

Unfortunately, defective or improperly used nursery products result in thousands of deaths and injuries among toddlers and infants each year. Just four months ago, a personal injury attorney in California wrote an article about the recall of 2.1 million drop-side cribs after over 67 incidents and 4 fatalities. Reading the instructions that come with car seats, cribs, strollers, and toys, in addition to providing close supervision, is crucial to preventing such accidents.

By: Larry Drexel

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Larry Drexel is a Public Relations manager. To obtain free, informative books or articles, or to find a qualified legal help, he suggests visiting California personal injury attorney.