Household Safety: Preventing Strangulation and Entrapment

The 4-year-old daughter of boxer Mike Tyson died at a hospital Tuesday, a day after her neck apparently got caught in a treadmill cord at her Phoenix home, police said.

Kids can strangle or become entrapped in the most unexpected ways — even cords, strings on clothing, and infant furniture and accessories can be dangerous.

Avoiding Potential Hazards

You can protect your child from strangulation and entrapment by avoiding potential hazards and modifying certain household items:

• Don't put necklaces or headbands on your baby.
• Don't dress your child in clothes with drawstrings, which can get caught on play equipment and furniture and strangle your child. Cut all drawstrings out of hoods, jackets, and waistbands in your child's wardrobe. Cut strings off mittens.
• Don't leave a child alone in a stroller — a child could slide down and trap his or her head.
• Don't use cribs with cutouts in the headboard or footboard.
• Bunk beds should have only a narrow space between the guardrail and the mattress.
• Don't tie a pacifier around your baby's neck or tether it to your baby's clothing with a ribbon or piece of string.
• Don't hang diaper bags or purses on cribs — a baby can become entangled in the straps or strings.
• Remove your infant's bib before naptime and bedtime.
• Don't let long telephone cords dangle to the floor.
• Don't use old accordion-style gates — these can trap a child's head.
• Tie all window blind and drapery cords, or cut the ends and attach safety tassels.
• Fit the inner cords of blinds with cord stops.
• Remove mobiles from cribs once the child is able to stand or sit up without help. Clip strings or ribbons off other crib toys.
• Make sure strings on crib bumpers are no longer than 6 inches (15 centimeters).
• Make sure crib slats are no more than 2 3/8 inches (6 centimeters) apart; anything wider can trap a child's head.
• Choose a toy chest without a lid.