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I was startled by a recent study I came across that revealed that one of the sorely ignored aspects of safety around the house was bath safety. Most parents are very well-informed about the dangers linked to having infants around a backyard pool or a garden water feature. However, they may not consider the many other places that the danger of possible drowning may occur like their own bathtub. Bath safety is a serious issue with babies that is often touched upon but not to the depths of outdoor water safety precautions.
Studies conducted in a cross section of American homes reveal that bath safety or the lack of it thereof is the most prominent cause of accidents at home. Drowning is the number one cause of death related to injury for the age group of one to four years old. The accidents do not always occur in swimming pools, lakes or ponds. Many people can prevent a significant number of these accidents by educating themselves about bath safety. Considering that a child can drown in just two inches of water makes us want to look at the bathroom and bath safety very closely.
More than half of infants who drown each year have the accident in the bathtub. This may come as a surprise to many who are lulled into a false sense of security when placing their baby in specially made seats designed for bath safety. This can be very dangerous because the parent may leave the child unattended for a moment to attend to something else with the false belief that the child is perfectly safe in the bath seat.
Drowning can happen in just a few seconds so it is crucial to keep the infant within arm’s reach at all the time. This is a prudent bath safety approach that can save young lives. The bathtub is a slippery place and specialized baby bath seats are not to be used in place of supervision. Number one in bath safety is to never leave the infant alone in a bathtub even when the child is securely in his seat.
Make sure that you are organized before putting the baby in the tub. Have everything you will need within reach at all times so you will not have to step away from the tub. If you do have to step away, take the baby with you even if this means getting soaked. This is a small price to pay for the baby’s bath safety and it is a good practice to keep at least one hand on the baby during the entire bathing process.
Bath safety is not exclusive to the tub, there are other dangers in the bathroom as well. Little ones can also get into trouble in the toilet as well. The infant should never be in the bathroom at all if there is not an adult present. This also means that younger children should not supervise the baby in the bathing area, either. Leaving your five-year-old to watch the baby while you answer the phone is not good bath safety practice. Finally, I am of the firm belief that the tiles are another aspect of the lack of bath safety.
parents.berkeley.edu Bathtub Safety - When should child be able to bathe alone?
parenting.ivillage.com For bath safety prior to baby's bath, have bathing supplies, clothes and towels already assembled...
www.consumerreports.org Avoid using any baby bath seat, including the Safety 1st Tubside Bath Seat...