At least six children have been strangled to death by window-blind cords in military housing, and four more seriously injured, since 1996. Child safety advocates say this is a major problem, as military families are often not allow to make changes to the window dressing in their homes.
Navy Chief Petty Officer Phil Coppedge lost his little boy Brandyn to blind cord strangulation while he was deployed at sea on September 11, 2009. He told USA TODAY:
"We're getting the process rolling and trying to bring more awareness to the military housing. But there's only so much I can do along with the (military) work I do."
Linda Kaiser founded the non-profit group Parents for Window Blind Safety after her 1-year-old-daughter, Cheyenne, was strangled to death by a window blind cord in 2002. Her advocacy efforts have spurred Consumer Product Safety Commission Chairman Inez Tenenbaum and Defense Department Undersecretary John Conger to call on military housing companies to make the blinds installed in their housing safer.
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, corded window coverings are one of the top five hidden hazards in the home. Parents for Window Blind Safety put together this video to tip off parents to the dangers of blinds deemed "Child Safe" on the box:
