Recall of Pottery Barn Kids Roman Shades due to near strangulation of children

AP Photo/ Joseph Kaczmarek

A recall of approximately 85,000 Pottery Barn Kids Roman Shades has been announced by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).  This article is a sub-article indexed to “Window blinds and shades recalled due to deaths of children caught in the cords” which provides more information about the more general recall announced by the CPSC.

The Pottery Barn Kids roman shades create a risk of strangulation because a child can place his or her neck between the exposed inner cord and the fabric on the backside of the blind or when a child pulls the cord out and wraps it around his or her neck.  Between March 2006 and July 2008, there have been six reports of children becoming entangled in the cords.  Four children were found with the cords tangled around their necks, and two had to be freed using scissors.  Two other children were found with red marks around their necks after having freed themselves.

The blinds were manufactured in China and Hong Kong, and were distributed by Pottery Barn Kids/Williams-Sonoma, Inc., of San Francisco, California.  They were sold nationwide through the Pottery Barn Kids catalog and through the firm's website at www.potterybarnkids.com. The recalled products were sold from January 2003 through May 2007 for between $30 and $60.

According to the CPSC, the recall applies to all sizes and colors of Pottery Barn Kids roman shades with exposed inner cords on the back.  Two sewn-in labels are located at the bottom edge of the shade.  The smaller label identifies the manufacturer as “Pottery Barn Kids” while the second larger label warns that “Cords and bead chains can loop around child's neck and STRANGLE.”  Roman shades with a fabric covering over the cords are not being recalled.

For additional information, contact Pottery Barn Kids toll-free at (800) 492-1949 or visit the website www.potterybarnkids.com.

For information about the recall of other blinds and shades due to the risk of injury or death, see Window blinds and shades recalled due to deaths of children caught in the cords.