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. Bath safety is
a serious issue that is often touched upon but not to the depths
of outdoor water safety precautions.
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
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
lives. The bathtub is a slippery place and specialized baby bath
seats are not to be used in place of supervision. 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 most of the 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 practice.
Remember...be safe...not sorry!
Author:
Tod Cox
Article
writer for the web community.
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