New safety guidelines for baby monitor cords

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association are warning parents about the danger of cords used for audio and video baby monitors.

CPSC chairman Inez Tennenbaum says since 2002, the commission is aware of seven deaths of infants and toddlers who were strangled by baby monitor cords and three infants who were nearly strangled.

Parents are being urged to place cords at least three feet away from any part of the crib, a play yard or any area where a baby sleeps and never place a monitor inside a crib or on the edge of it.

There is also a warning label that can be placed on monitor cords about the safety measures that can be seen by anyone who may be watching the child.

One of the consultants who was involved in the safety measures is Charlie Pereira. His daughter was among the babies who was strangled by a monitor cord and died. Pereira says he is a safety engineer, and that having his daughter die from a preventable accident is a very difficult thing to live with. He says he owes it to his daughter to try to keep other children from dying.