Old Accordion Style Baby Gates
Are Dangerous
Consumer Product Safety Commission
Old Accordion Style Baby Gates Are Dangerous: Safety Alert
CPSC Document #5085
The U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)
warns of an entrapment and strangulation hazard that
exists with accordion-style baby gates manufactured prior
to February 1985. These gates have V-shaped openings
along the top edge and diamond-shaped openings in the
sides that are large enough to entrap a child's head. CPSC
knows of 9 deaths and at least 25 "near-misses" because
of the entrapment hazard of these gates. Most of the
deaths occurred when children's heads became entrapped
in the V-shaped openings.
In contrast, other styles of baby gates--such as a straight
top edge and rigid mesh screen, or openings too small for
a child's head to enter--do not present the
entrapment/strangulation hazard.
CPSC worked with the Juvenile Products Manufacturers
Association (JPMA) to develop an ASTM (formerly the
American Society for Testing and Materials) voluntary standard
to address the entrapment/strangulation hazard.The
standard restricts the width of V-shaped openings in the
top edge of a gate to no more than 1.5 inches and limits
the diamond-shaped openings to a size that prevents entry
of the head of a 6 month old child. Gates that meet the
requirements in the ASTM voluntary standard are safer
than the old accordion-style gates. CPSC has no reports of
deaths or near misses due to head entrapment in these
newer gates.
Caregivers who have the old gates with large V- or diamond-
shaped openings should discontinue their use.
Of course, in order to prevent falls when using any type of
baby gates, care should be taken to be sure they're
securely latched and that children do not attempt to climb
on them.
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