Bathtub Safety

My baby is crazy for the bathtub! He giggles, laughs and generally has a rollicking good time. If there is any indication that it’s bath time, he turns and without looking back, hightails it in the direction of the tub. The other day I let him play for a while because it’s a good way for him to get comfortable in the water. But just because I want him to be comfortable doesn’t mean I let him take risks he can’t handle. I pulled up a stool and didn’t leave his side for a second. Sure enough 10 minutes into bath time, while he was slipping and sliding around, he fell back nearly submerging himself. I caught him just as he was about to go under.

As you know, from my January post: Drowning Prevention, I’m a big advocate for water safety. USA Safe Kids.org reports that drowning is the leading cause of accidental injury-related deaths among children ages 1 -4. 10% of all childhood drownings occur in bathtubs. Female children have a bathtub drowning rate of twice that of male children. My own daughter loves to put her face in the water and pretend she’s sleeping. Yeah I know. It freaks me out too!

I can’t emphasize this enough: Don’t leave your child in a bathtub unattended! Drownings happen fast and the consequences are devastating. Even I’ve been tempted to step away for a second to get something. It’s better to just pull them out and let them drip all over the place. That’s a mess you can clean up.

Sheila Cason, MD