Sourcing safer products for families since 2007
SafeMama
Check home

Window Falls

Check this firstAges 1–5Situational

Spot it

Furniture (bed, crib, toy chest) under a window a child can climb; windows that open more than 4 inches on upper floors; reliance on the insect screen.

Fix it

Install window guards or window stops that limit opening to 4 inches on all above-ground-floor windows, and move climbable furniture away from windows. Screens keep bugs out; they do not hold children in.

Safer swaps

What actually fixes this — the category to look for, not a brand we were paid to name.

  • Window guards (releasable for fire escape)

    Physical barrier that still allows emergency egress

  • Window stops (4-inch limiters)

    Cheapest effective option for windows that must open

  • Window stops (limit how far a window opens)

    Install so the window opens less than 4 inches, the usual guideline. Make sure an adult can still open a bedroom window fully in a fire; if not, use a releasable window guard instead. Screens will not hold a child. An example we have listed, not tested.

Related product category: Home safety equipment

Sources cited

Sources

  1. An estimated 5,200 children a year were treated for window-fall injuries in a 19-year U.S. study (1990-2008) — and screens do not prevent falls — Harris, Rochette & Smith, "Pediatric Injuries Attributable to Falls From Windows in the United States in 1990-2008," Pediatrics, 2011 — Nationwide Children's Center for Injury Research and Policy. (how we check this source)

Every source we cite is checked against our criteria first — see how we check our sources.

Related checks

More in Nursery & Kids' Bedrooms

Featured in
FortuneChicago TribuneParenting.comPalm Beach PostThe Bump
Full record