It’s hard to comprehend how something as seemingly innocent as window treatments can be so deadly to children. But two recalls announced recently remind us that they are. 

The first, larger recall involves 670,000 Iris and Alvine Roman blinds sold in the U.S. (and another 4.8 million sold outside the U.S.) by Ikea. In April, a one-year-old girl strangled to death when she became entangled in the inner cord of one of these blinds. 

The second recall involves 7,300 black-out roller shades and insulated Roman shades made by Green Mountain Vista. The shades come with a looped bead chain that, if not attached to the wall or floor, hangs loosely. In June, a two-year-old girl nearly strangled to death when she put the looped chain around her neck and then slipped off the radiator where she was standing. Her five-year-old brother rescued her. She suffered deep neck bruising. 

Read the rest of this post on our Safety blog, and learn more about proper crib placement in our play yards safety report.

Also see the CPSC's window blind information (PDF) and the Window Covering Safety Council Web site for more information.