National Baby Safety Month: Bath Time Safety

Bath time for many kids is one of the highlights of their day.  I know that with Bubbles we now actually have to spell the word bath or she runs to the bathroom door and starts trying to wriggle out of her clothes like an escape artist.  She isn’t that crazy about having her hair washed, but once that’s out the way, she plays happily until her fingers start to prune and she reluctantly lets us pull her out of the tub. While bath time is fun time, it unfortunately can also be dangerous.  Being diligent while watching your child bathe is important, but there are also safety measures that you can take ahead of time to reduce the risks.

Drowning

Children can drown in just a few inches of water.  According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission it is the leading cause of unintentional death in kids ages 1 to 4.  Never leave a child unattended in the bath tub or bathroom for any amount of time.   Collect all necessary bath items – toys, towel, shampoo, etc. – prior to bathing.  Phone calls can be returned later.  If you must leave the area, take your child with you.

Accidental Falls

Dozens of children are injured daily by falls in the tub and the bathroom.  Purchasing some inexpensive grippy stickers or a mat for the bottom of the tub can help reduce the chance of slipping.  Get an absorbent, nonskid bath rug to place outside the tub to keep the floors from getting slick.

Temperature

Water can scald the skin of a baby or toddler much more easily than an adult.  Consider purchasing an infrared thermometer that will tell you the surface temperature of the water.  Kids love to have something to play with in the tub.  Make one of those items a rubber ducky with a “Too Hot” sensor on the bottom for an extra check.  Ensure knobs are turned tightly off so that your child cannot accidentally turn the hot water back on and burn themselves.

One product you may want to consider that can help make bath time safer – and even more fun! – is the Munchkin Bubble Spout Guard.  This adorable soft-sided elephant slips on over your faucet spout to protect kids from hitting their head and face on the hard metal.  It has an adjustable Velcro strap underneath to help secure it to the faucet.  Not only does this provide some protection in the event of a fall, it also prevents kids from scalding themselves on the hot metal.

An extra feature that I loved was that the elephant trunk is actually a reservoir for bubble bath!  Simply pour in your favorite suds and a small hole in the underside of the trunk will allow it to drip down into the water as the tub fills.  This helps create a constant, even production of bubbles (no big pile at the start that quickly disappears).  If you’d like one for your own bath time fun, you can pick one up for under $8 from Amazon.

Do you have a bath time safety tip you’d like to share?

I received a Bubble Spout Guard in order to facilitate my review.  No compensation was received and all opinions, as always, are 100% that of myself and my family.