Strangulation Death of a Child Prompts Recall of Roman Blinds; Sold Exclusively at IKEA

Recalled November 20, 2008 · CPSC recall 09050 · Strangulation Death

Hazard

Strangulations can occur when a child places his/her neck in an exposed inner cord on the backside of the roman blinds.

Remedy

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled Roman Blinds and return them to any IKEA store to obtain a full refund.

Units

About 670,000 (an additional 4.8 million were sold outside of the United States)

Incidents / injuries

On April 4, 2008, a 1-year-old girl in Greenwich, Conn. became entangled in the inner cord of an IKEA Roman Blind and strangled. The child was in a portable playpen that was located underneath a fully lowered roman blind. She was found partially suspended with the inner cord of the blind wrapped twice around her neck.

Description

This recall involves all sizes of IRIS and ALVINE Roman Blinds in white. The blinds have a sewn-in label at the top edge of the blind with the IKEA logotype, article name (IRIS or ALVINE), 5-digit supplier number 19799 or 21369, four-digit date stamp (YYWW) and the words "Made in India". On the bottom edge of the blind there is a sewn-in orange/white safety warning label. The blinds are made from 100% cotton.

What to do

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled Roman Blinds and return them to any IKEA store to obtain a full refund.

Contact

For additional information, contact IKEA toll-free at (888) 966-4532 anytime, or visit the firm's Web site at www.ikea-usa.com

Product

IRIS and ALVINE Roman Blinds

Distributed by

IKEA Home Furnishings, of Conshohocken, Pa.

Retailers

IKEA stores nationwide from July 2005 through June 2008 for between $7 and $30.

Made in

India

Source: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Official recall notice on cpsc.gov →