You might not know it to look at them, but experts say they pose a potential hazard for kids in your home, and they're hidden in plain sight: open windows.
Every year in the United States, some four thousand children are injured in falls from windows, and several die, according to Safe Kids USA.
In just the past few weeks, youngsters have fallen from windows in Pennsylvania, Virginia, Nebraska and Texas.
The problem tends to get worse in warmer weather, when more windows are left open, points out "Early Show" Consumer Correspondent Susan Koeppen. She says kids ages 4 and under are most at risk, and the falls tend to happen around noon and after 5 o'clock, when parents are usually busy making meals. And it can be a problem whether you live in the city or the suburbs. READ MORE >
More than 5,000 U.S. children and teens are injured each year in falls from windows, according to a study that suggests the problem stretches beyond urban high-rises. The research found many children fall from first- and second-story windows. "This is more than just a big-city problem,'' said senior author Dr. Gary Smith of Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. Suburban mother, Beth Harlan, knows that to be true. Two years ago, her daughter, Sidney Dillon, then age 6, fell from a second-story window in their home in Galloway, just west of Columbus. The girl was sitting on the sill and leaned against the window screen. Harlan walked into the room as the screen gave way.
"I came upstairs just in time to see her falling out the window,'' Harlan said. Luckily, Sidney fell into a bush and fresh landscaping mulch. An X-ray ruled out broken bones. Still, the accident frightened both mother and daughter. "Don't ever think that kind of thing can't happen to you,'' Harlan said. "Never in a million years, when I opened up the window, did I think my kid would decide to sit in a windowsill.'' Harlan's daughter was older than the typical child who falls. Preschoolers are at the highest risk and they suffer more head injuries than older children. "Two-thirds of these injuries occurred among children younger than 5. This is the age group that's mobile, curious and does not recognize the danger of falling from a window,'' Smith said. READ MORE >
Window Guards: They Save Lives. They're the Law.
Every year, many children fall out of windows in New York City. Some die. Others are badly hurt. Even falling from a first-floor window can kill a child! It can happen fast, to any child, even yours. Window guards can keep children from falling out of windows. Screens are only for keeping bugs out. They will not protect your children. Only window guards will keep kids safely inside. All window guards must be the strong metal kind approved by the Health Department. And every window guard must be installed right and put in tight with screws. It's the law! Make sure that your window guards are put in right, and put in tight. READ MORE >
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced today new safety standards for window guards that will help parents protect their children from window falls. The industry standards developed at the urging of CPSC ensure that guards are strong enough to prevent falls and that those for single family homes and the lower floors of apartment buildings can be opened easily for escape in the event of a fire.
CPSC estimates that about 12 children 10 years old and younger die each year, and more than 4,000 are treated in hospital emergency rooms for window fall-related injuries. CPSC knows of 120 window-fall related deaths to children since 1990. Most of the deaths and injuries are to children under the age of 5. READ MORE >
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, 'about 12 children 10 years old and younger die each year, and more than 4,000 are treated in hospital emergency rooms for window fall-related injuries.'
That makes installing a window gate or guard important. Remember that they should be strong enough to prevent a fall, but also meet the latest standards so that they can be easily opened in case of a fire.
A window guard can be a good idea even if you are on the first floor, so that your child can't get out of the house through a low, open window.
Remember that you should not depend on a screen to keep your kids from falling out of a window.READ MORE >