Bath time is a necessary part of a family routine with children, and it can also be a lot of fun. Unfortunately, studies report that more than 40,000 children are injured in the bathtub each year.1 Since Dr.STITCH is dedicated to helping you keep your family safe, check out our safety tips below for safer tub time with little ones:
The Most Important Part of Bath Time: Your Attention
Parenthood is a busy endeavor in which you are often pulled in many different directions at once. But at bath time, your kids need your undivided attention. In only a moment, children can have tragic accidents in even just a few inches of water, so it is critical that bath time is 100% supervised. If possible, plan to give baths when 2 adults are in the house so that the parent on bath duty can remain distraction-free. If you are parenting solo during bath time, let the doorbell ring and the phone go unanswered. If you do need to leave the bathroom, give little ones a quick towel-off and take them with you. According to the National Health Institute, children under 6 years old should never be left unattended in the bath for any amount of time.
Don’t Forget the Temperature Check!
You may enjoy relaxing in a steamy hot bath, but young children have much more sensitive skin than adults. Bath water should be warm, but not hot. Test the water temperature with your elbow or the underside of your wrist, rather than with fingers which can be less sensitive. Consider adding a safety lock to the hot water tap to prevent curious toddlers from scalding themselves.
Accessories for a Safer Bath Tub
A few specialized bath safety items can help you keep bath time as relaxing and fun as possible:
- A rubber mat or textured decals in the tub and a large, non-slip mat outside the tub can help prevent falls.
- A cushioned cover for the bathtub faucet can keep youngsters from bumping their heads on the faucet.
- A tub guard or bathtub bumper that sits on the edge of the tub can prevent little ones from bumping their heads and will also cushion your elbows during bath time.
- A few fun bath toys can help you in encouraging kids to stay seated in the bath; dry toys after use and discard any that become cracked or molded.
Check the national recall database to ensure that any bath accessories you are using have not been recalled due to safety concerns.
Keep Your Entire Bathroom Safe for Tub Time
Bathroom safety is important for before and after the bath, and any other time little ones may be in the bathroom.
- All cabinets should have child safety locks and all medications and cleaning products should be secured.
- Keep razors, nail clippers, and scissors locked away in a cabinet.
- Ensure all electronics, including hair tools, are out of reach and away from the tub.
- A toilet lock lid can keep curious toddlers from falling into the bowl.
- Even with safety precautions, it is best to keep toddlers from wandering into the bathroom alone. Consider a lock on the outside of the bathroom door.
Call Dr.STITCH if Accidents Happen
Share these safety tips with your babysitters, grandparents, and other potential caretakers. We hope you and your family have lots of good, clean fun! If accidents do happen, we’re here for you. Dr.STITCH is an immediate, on-call service provided by the experienced plastic surgeons of Long Island Plastic Surgical Group. We provide treatment for lacerations, burns, facial trauma, and hand injuries 24/7/365. Learn more about how Dr.STITCH works and save our phone number to your contacts.
1 Mao S, McKenzie L, Xiang H, Smith G. Injuries Associated With Bathtubs and Showers Among Children in the United States. Pediatrics. August 2009, VOLUME 124 / ISSUE 2