Mum's warning to parents after her daughter was almost strangled to death by a common household fixture: 'I felt sick to my stomach'

Mum found out her daughter was playing with blind cordsThe cords caused bruises to the child's neckShe reminded parents to secure blind and curtain strings 

A mum has warned parents to be careful with kids around blinds after her child came close to choking herself on a pull cord.

Emily shared her story with parents group Tiny Hearts Education saying her daughter Ava was ‘messing’ with blind strings and wrapping them around her neck.

She hadn’t noticed Ava playing with the strings and while she wasn’t stuck or in any distress, the cords caused bruises on her neck and could have come close to choking her.

‘I don’t even want to think what could’ve happened. I’m just so grateful she’s okay,’ Emily said on Instagram.

Tiny Hearts founder and former paramedic Nikki Jurcutz said the scary incident was a reminder for parents to secure curtain and blind cords.

Mum Emily has issued a warning to parents after her daughter, Ava, suffered bruises to her neck from playing with blind cords. She said she could have accidentally choked herself

‘Ava was playing on the porch yesterday and was messing with the blind strings. She said she wrapped it around her neck and then tried to get out without unwrapping it,’ Emily explained.

‘She wasn’t stuck, was able to breathe, talk and was never in distress.’

Ava told her mum what she had been doing with the blind strings after someone noticed the marks on her neck which Emily said gave her ‘the worst mum guilt’.

‘I was an absolute mess when I found out what happened later on. She never told me what she did, just mentioned later on that her neck hurt and I didn’t think twice about it.’

‘All strings are wrapped up now and we will be buying blinds that don’t have strings.’

Emily said she hugged ava extra tight and was so scared she was ‘sick to her stomach’ thinking about what could have happened.

She hadn’t noticed Ava playing with the strings and while she wasn’t stuck or in any distress, the cords caused bruises on her neck

Nikki Jurcutz of Tiny Hearts Education said unsecured blind and curtain cords claim the lives or one to two Australian children each year from accidental strangulation

‘I just want parents to be aware of how quick something like this can happen since it’s not something that most people think about,’ she said.

Nikki said unsecured blind and curtain cords claim the lives or one to two Australian children each year from accidental strangulation.

Victoria offers free curtain and blind cord safety kits and there are mandatory Australia-wide standards for internal window coverings to prevent such tragedies.

According to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission loose cords can be extreme dangerous as young children can quickly tangle themselves or loop the strings around their neck.

It is important parent make sure cots, beds, highchairs and playpens are placed far from blind and curtain cords so they are inaccessible to children at all times.

Cords should be secured and out of reach of children who can also climb in furniture like couches and chairs near windows with blinds or curtains.