It’s hard not to fall in love with clothing for children. Bright colors, rugged fabrics, lots of bows, ribbons, and strings... but wait! Hold off on the strings—they can be an entrapment or strangulation hazard to your child.
I was reminded of this recently when I found a drawstring on a hooded shirt I was considering purchasing for my 3-year-old daughter. Worried, I took photos for our safety team to look at, and we sent them to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. As it turns out, the CPSC enforcement doesn’t apply to shirts, but only to outer garments.
Bottom line: Don’t just search for drawstrings around the neck. Almost a third of the deaths and nonfatal incidents involve drawstrings at the waist bottom of children’s jackets or sweatshirts. In most cases the drawstring snagged in a small space on a handrail as a child was getting off of the bus.
If you find a garment with a drawstring, report your findings to the CPSC and call the retailer. Don’t dispose of the item because the CPSC may want the garment or a photo. If you want your child to wear the item, remove the drawstring first.
Be vigilant: You may find strings on hats, shoes, or belts as well as jackets, shirts, and sweatshirts. If you think the string is long enough to get entangled, play it safe and remove it.
For more details on drawstring safety, see our Consumer Reports safety blog.
