Baby gates are used at the top and bottom of stairs or in open
doorways to prevent toddlers from falling or entering unsafe
areas.
But some baby gates themselves are dangerous.
The Commission warns parents and others who care for children
that an entrapment and strangulation hazard exists with accordion-
style baby gates that have large V-shaped openings along
the top edge and diamond-shaped openings between the slats.
CPSC knows of deaths that occurred when children’s heads
were entrapped in the V-shaped or diamond-shaped openings
when they attempted to crawl through or over the gates.
Although these hazardous accordion-style baby gates have
not been sold since 1985, you may still find them at yard sales
or in thrift stores. So BeWare when you "go Sale-ing"
If You Will Be Using a Baby Gate ...
- Choose a gate with a straight top edge and rigid bars or
mesh screen, or an accordion-style gate with small
V-shapes and diamond-shaped openings. Entrances to
V-shapes should be no more than 1-1/2 inches (38 mm) in
width to prevent head entrapment.
- Be sure the baby gate is securely anchored in the doorway
or stairway it is blocking. Children have pushed gates over
and fallen down stairs.
- Gates that are retained with an expanding pressure bar
should be installed with this bar on the side away from the
child. A pressure bar may be used as a toehold by a child to
climb over a gate.
- Pressure Gates are not recommended at
the top of stairways. CPSC is aware of a number of incidents
where pressure gates have popped out of openings at
the top of stairs resulting in children falling down stairs.
Circular wooden enclosures that expand, accordion-style, can
present the same entrapment/strangulation hazards as the
accordion-style gates. The Commission knows of deaths that
occurred when children caught their necks in the V-shaped
openings along the top edge of the enclosure, apparently as
they were attempting to climb out. CPSC recommends that
you
DO NOT USE Accordian-Style Expandable
Encosures with V-shaped or diamond-shaped openings.