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Child dies every 2 weeks from furniture tipping

Posted at 9:08 AM, May 09, 2016
and last updated 2016-05-09 09:16:44-04

(NBC) - A dangerous scenario inside many homes has safety experts outraged that not enough is being done to prevent it.

Government videos using dolls show what it's like when furniture falls on children are disturbing enough.

The statistics are dramatic.

"We have a child in an emergency room every 24 minutes on average, and a child dies every two weeks from furniture tipping over on them," said CPSC Commissioner Marietta Robinson.

Ted McGee, 2, of Minneapolis, Minn., was a recent victim, killed when a dresser he was climbing toppled over him.

His case and others have led the consumer product safety commission to re-emphasize its "anchor-it" program.

"People don't even know it's there, in terms of the danger, but secondly, children love to climb, particularly young children. It's part of their development," said Robinson.

Do-it-yourself anchoring kits are available online. Also, Angie's List founder Angie Hicks suggests hiring a certified professional childproofer.

"(Professionals can) help assess your home just to get a sense of where the danger zones are because they're experienced and have seen a lot of these accidents," said Hicks.

If you do it yourself, experts advise to get down on the floor and look up, paying particular attention to those things that may raise the curiosity of a child -- enough to make them start climbing.

CPSC is also putting pressure on manufacturers to build furniture that doesn't tip over so easily.

Courtesy: NBC News Channel