Injury & Death From Children’s Clothing
During our current cold snap in Orlando, I have been reminded of the risk of injury and death to our children from their clothing. As personal injury lawyers, we know that dangerously designed clothing causes injury and death to small children in Florida and elsewhere. Despite safety guidelines from the Consumer Product Safety Commission, an agency of the federal government, children’s clothing manufacturers continue to sell dangerous clothing to unsuspecting parents and grandparents.
The other day, I saw a small child in our community wearing a hooded sweatshirt with pull-strings. That kind of clothing is known to get caught in playground equipment and can lead to the strings tightening around the child’s neck. If the child is climbing or on a slide, he or she can be left dangling until help arrives. That horrific situation can lead to strangulation.
As a parent, I have become acutely aware of these hazards and I share these risks with my friends and family whenever it comes to mind. Unfortunately, many parents have no idea of the risks. I wish I could get this information to every parent of little ones. Recently, the CPSC sent out a recall relating to hooded sweatshirts and jackets with neck pull-strings. Amazingly, there are thousands of these pieces of children’s clothing out there putting children at risk.
For your guidance and for those you know with small children, I am providing this link to the CPSC guidelines for drawstrings on children’s clothing. This guideline was developed in 1996 and includes drawings which illustrate what happens if a string gets caught and the child loses his or her footing. While we all do our best to properly supervise our children and keep them safe, children’s clothing manufacturers must do their part. That includes complying with federal guidelines for safely making children’s clothing.
