Curtain cords and accidental childhood hanging

To the Editor: Accidental asphyxia in very young children is an ongoing problem caused by hazardous sleeping environments and toddlers’ inability to understand dangers or to physically extricate themselves once entrapped. Two common problems involve children becoming wedged between mattresses and cot sides or walls, and hanging from clothing caught on projections inside cots.1 Autopsy in such cases requires careful death scene evaluation to prevent confusion with sudden infant death syndrome and to identify any evidence of inflicted injury, if present. National legislation requiring both new and second-hand cots to meet Australian safety standards has reduced the numbers of unsafe cots on the market.