In 2015, I learned of the Maryland Race for the Family 5K walk/run, held at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, and hosted by Shady Grove Fertility. I was 16w pregnant with our first born at the time of the Race, so we thought we would go and walk it in support of the “1 in 8” couples who suffer from an infertility diagnosis. Since 2015, we’ve been back in 2016, 2017, 2018, and are planning to attend the 2019 event. It’ll be our fifth year. The Race is a fundraiser for fertility grants that the Cade Foundation (Owings Mills, MD) awards locally and nationally each year.
It was through this event, that I learned of both the Savannah Grant and also Savannah’s Playground (an area devoted to children at the Race). Curious the backstory about Savannah, I started doing some online research. And, that’s when I discovered the unimaginable tragedy that had befallen Savannah’s family a few years prior. After undergoing successful fertility treatment, carrying Savannah to term, and raising her to age 10 months of age, an awful accident happened. She managed to pull her baby monitor, and subsequently got tangled up in its cord, into her safe place, her crib. By the time her nanny returned from folding laundry and discovered her, it was simply…too late.
Additional Resources
- NBC24: Parents share deadly warning about baby monitors
- WJLA: Baby strangled in video monitor cord; CPSC warns about placing monitors close to cribs
- FirstGiving: Savannah’s Memorial Fund
- Saving Amy: 29 Ways to Cut Costs on Fertility Treatment in Maryland
- Saving Amy: Comprehensive Baby Registry Guide (Sleep & Monitors)
- Saving Amy: My Priorities for Baby’s First Year
- Saving Amy: My Favorite Smart Home / Small Business Devices
- Shady Grove Fertility: Pregnancy Loss & Infant Loss Remembrance Day
Less than 1% of infants will pass away in the United States – which is 1% too many for the families coping with the loss. –Shady Grove Fertility
Our Resolution
Heartbroken for this family, even years after this March 2010 incident, we decided we would turn this tragic story into a positive in our household. We decided to run our baby monitor cords through the wall, away from the crib, much like you would do a wall-mounted TV. For us, this was not a time to spread hate, finger-point, or blame. This was to educate us because the parents of little Savannah decided to spread awareness so it wouldn’t happen to other little ones, like ours. Their story touched us, enhanced our education. And, I hope this post does the same for you too even 9+ years later.
Cable Management Products to Consider
All of these options have install videos available on their respective Amazon.com product pages:
- $41.19: Legrand Wiremold Cord and Cable Power Kit, Recessed In-Wall Cable Management System (incl. hole saw drill attachment & 5′ in-wall power cord) – this is the one seen in our install below
- $44.17 (list price: $59.99): Datacomm Electronics Cable Organizer Kit (you will need a drywall / jab saw, sold separately)
- $49.99: Echogear in Wall Power Kit Includes Low Voltage Cable Management (incl. hole saw drill attachment & 5′ in-wall power cord)
Prices are subject to change at any time, and were accurate as of the time of this post. Use a service like Honey or CamelCamelCamel.com to find when Amazon items are at their lowest price point.
Our Install
Below you’ll find photos of our specific install.
If/when you decide to do this in your own home, consider a location that not only will suit the angle of your baby monitor(s), but could also serve as a future wall-mounted TV location too.
Follow all directions provided with your specific kit.
I hope that by creating this simple post, that I’m able to help spread further awareness of the dangers of installing a baby monitor with loose cords too close to your little one’s crib. Let me know in the comments below.
Social Follow and Share
I’ve been sitting on the idea for this post for some time. It was too important to continue to sit on it any longer. Please tag your expectant friends and family, or those with infants in the household. https://t.co/Ko6yUWF7ov #newblogpost #ontheblog
— Saving Amy (@savingamyblog) May 22, 2019
Saving Amy is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
