Safety Tips on Children's Apparel
Learn what to look out for when buying clothes for your child. Follow these tips to avoid choking and strangulation risks from drawstrings, cords, and small parts.
Last updated 19 May 2026
Safety Tips on Children’s Apparel
When choosing which apparel to buy for their children, parents and caregivers should take note of areas that could potentially cause harm. Embellishments such as bows, cords and drawstrings that make clothing fit better can also pose a strangulation hazard. Likewise, loose buttons or other small parts on the apparel may pose choking hazards.
General safety tips
Buy apparel to fit your child now rather than larger sizes to accommodate his or her growth. Oversized clothes or shoes leave your child susceptible to trips and falls.
Check for loose buttons or other small parts on the apparel that may pose choking hazards.
Wash all new clothes before wearing them. Textile and clothing may contain many harmful substances such as formaldehyde to make them softer, shrink resistant, strain-resistant, wrinkle-free, fire-retardant or moth-repellent. Washing can help to remove many of these substances.
Read labels carefully for the name, description and details of the textile fibre content.
Dress your child in activity-appropriate apparel.
Look out for the following to avoid strangulation hazards:
Cords and drawstrings should not be detachable.
Cords at the waist should not be more than 14cm in length.
For young children, belts and sashes at the back should not hang below the hem of the garment when untied.
Drawstrings and cords for garments that end below the crotch area should not hang below the garment.
For young children below age 7
Clothing should not have any cords or drawstrings around the hood and neck area.
Halter-styled clothes should be made as one continuous piece, i.e. with no loose or free ends.
Shoulder straps should be one continuous piece that is securely fastened and have no loose or free ends. For example, cords that are tied together should be avoided.
For older children between the ages of 7 and 14
Cords and drawstrings in the hood and neck are allowed but should not have loose or free ends.
If you have children’s clothes that do not meet the above requirements for cord or drawstrings, one way to make them safer is to remove or shorten them.