Mom Issues Warning After Baby Is Strangled by Baby Monitor Cord

Mom Issues Warning After Baby Is Strangled by Baby Monitor Cord
Stock photo of an ambulance in Toronto. (Michael Gil via Wikimedia Commons)
Jack Phillips
3/31/2019
Updated:
6/5/2019

A mother in the United Kingdom issued a warning to parents of young children after her 1-year-old daughter, Jessica, died in a tragic accident.

Danielle Duggan of Shipdham, England, said she is mourning after her little girl died when the cord of her baby monitor strangled her, the New York Post reported on March 26, adding that the incident took place in October 2018.

Her daughter, who was 18 months, was set down for an afternoon nap. Duggan had placed the monitor on the top of a shelf in her daughter’s room.

Duggan and her husband, Jason, stated that they had tried to ensure that the monitor and the cord were secure, but while the parents were out of the room, the baby girl apparently grabbed the wire and managed to strangle herself.

When her parents noticed, they called emergency services, untangled the wire, and performed CPR. The child was rushed via ambulance to a hospital where she was pronounced dead.

“I would urge that parents are really careful when setting up their monitors,” Duggan told The Sun publication. “A few years ago people were worried about blinds near cots, but we never had that.”

She said that nothing in her room changed for a year.

“The wire was always out of reach — it was a corner shelf above her cot and the camera was at the back of the shelf, and the wire was tucked behind the shelf and tacked all the way down the wall and it was plugged into an extension lead underneath her cot,” she said.

“The coroner and the police think that she had seen the extension lead and pulled the extension lead up from underneath,” the mother added, Yahoo reported. “The wires then got enough slack in it that she got the wire around her neck then the weight of the extension lead dropped and it cut off her air supply.”

Six months after her death, she said, “We are just urging parents to be extra cautious — you have to box in everything.”

Coroner Yvonne Blake said that the cause of death was compression of the neck by ligature.

The couple created a GoFundMe page after the girl’s death raise money for the air ambulance that attempted to save their daughter. “The air ambulance service is all run by charity and due to the amazing care they gave our daughter, we would like to raise money for them in the hope that the money will help others when needed,” they wrote.

CPSC Warning

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has issued a warning. “We began warning you about baby monitor cord dangers. CPSC knows of seven deaths and three near strangulations since 2002 involving video and audio baby monitors. The monitors and cords were placed within a child’s reach.”

“You need to know about cord hazards, so you can prevent your baby from strangling in a cord,” the agency wrote.

It called on parents to “take a look” around the crib and note the location of the monitor cord.

“Remember, at least 3 feet away is where your monitor should stay,” the CPSC stated. “Yes, 3 feet. As in 3 big feet ... 3 Feet is also about the width of your baby’s crib plus 6 inches.”

Duggan said that if she were to have another child, they would “get a wireless” baby monitor.

“If we were to have another baby we would get a wireless one. But it’s not just wires that you have to be careful about — it’s phone changers and other cords around the house,” Danielle said.

“Just think outside the box when it comes to your toddler’s safety. They will get into anything. even things you wouldn’t think of, as we know with Jessica. We’re urging parents just to box up everything you can,” Jason Duggan added.

In 2015, the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association said that parents should build a “safe zone” that is around three feet around their child’s crib.
Jack Phillips is a breaking news reporter with 15 years experience who started as a local New York City reporter. Having joined The Epoch Times' news team in 2009, Jack was born and raised near Modesto in California's Central Valley. Follow him on X: https://twitter.com/jackphillips5
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