Connecticut Children's emphasizes window safety as high temperatures approach – NBC Connecticut

With temperatures expected to reach the mid-90s next week, experts at Connecticut Children's have reinforced the importance of safety as people begin to open their windows.

“I think parents should be very cautious about dropping the window and having the window open without any protection,” said James Thomas, of Hartford.

Often, as temperatures rise, so do windows, which means extra consideration for those living with young children.

“Be sure to supervise play with your children. If they are near an open window and especially if the fall from the window to the ground is greater than six feet, that poses a real risk of injury or even death,” said Kevin Borrup, executive director of Connecticut Children's Injury Prevention Center.

Last year in Hartford, a 2-year-old child was killed when he fell from a third-story window. Approximately 119 other children were injured in Connecticut due to similar accidents between 2018 and 2022, according to Borrup.

“Parents should make sure that if they open the window, they can lock it four inches open so it doesn't open more than four inches,” Borrup said.

He says children aged two to five are most at risk of falling out of windows.

“I think it should be a statewide requirement that they have guards on those windows, especially when children are involved,” Thomas said.

Some apartments use bars to increase security. As for screens, Borrup says parents shouldn't rely on them to keep their children safe.

“We all have screens, but these screens were designed to keep insects out. They were not designed to prevent children from falling out of windows,” Borrup said.