Every spring, as families open their windows to let in fresh air, a predictable and preventable wave of child window fall injuries begins. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates that an estimated 5,600 children aged 12 and under were treated in emergency departments in 2024 after falling out of a window, and about one in three of those cases required hospitalization. CPSC is also aware of at least 25 deaths among children age 12 and under due to falls from windows between 2021 and 2023. Eighty percent of those fatalities occurred between May and October when windows are most likely to be open.
The Screen Myth
The most dangerous misconception parents have about window safety is that a window screen will prevent a child from falling. Window screens are designed to keep insects out because they are not structurally capable of supporting the weight of a child pressing against them. A toddler leaning or pushing against a window screen can fall through it effortlessly. CPSC warns clearly: screens are meant to keep bugs out, not kids in. Never depend on a window screen to keep a young child safe near an open window.
How Window Falls Happen
Window falls most frequently occur when children push themselves against window screens or climb onto furniture located next to an open window. Young children, particularly those aged 5 and under, are most vulnerable — they are naturally curious, they climb, and they do not understand the danger of height. A chair, a couch, a bed, or a windowsill at the right height is all that is needed for a child to reach an open window.
What You Should Do
- Install window guards to prevent children from falling out of windows. Window guards screw into the side of the window frame and have bars no more than 4 inches apart. For windows on the 6th floor and below, install window guards that adults and older children can open easily in case of fire.
- Install window stops so that windows open no more than 4 inches. Whether opening windows from the bottom, top, or side, openings should never exceed 4 inches when children are present.
- Move all furniture — including cribs, beds, chairs, and sofas — away from windows to remove the climbing path to window openings.
- Whenever possible, open windows from the top rather than the bottom.
- Never depend on a screen to keep a child away from an open window.
- Renters should talk with their landlords about installing window guards.
To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, visit SaferProducts.gov or call CPSC’s Hotline at 800-638-2772.
