Safe baby bath time: Top tips for parents and carers

Whether you love or loathe bath time, it’s important to keep safety in mind as sadly many accidents happen in the bathroom.

Babies and young children can drown in very little water. Their delicate skin can burn easily. And they can put harmful things in their mouths.

Here we explore the risks and the simple things you can do to keep babies and toddlers safe, even at busy bath times.

How do babies drown in the bath?

It only takes a few centimetres of water for babies and toddlers to drown.  Their lungs can fill with water very quickly and they can drown in minutes.  This all happens silently, with no noise or struggle to alert you that they’re in trouble.

Babies can’t recognise danger and, if their face goes into the water, they may have trouble lifting their heads so it stays there.

This can result in death or life-changing brain injury.

That’s why they need you to stay with them at all times and keep them in arms reach.

Why do babies drown in the bath?

The Royal Life Saving Society reports that the numbers of babies and young children drowning in the bath has doubled in the last four years. In most cases, there was no adult there to respond.

The most common reasons children were left alone in the bath were: taking a phone call, popping out to get something like a towel, confusion about who was supervising the child or needing to take care of other young children.

Parents thought they’d hear if their child got into difficulties and didn’t realise how quietly drowning happens. Or they thought the bath seat would keep their baby safe for a few minutes.

How to keep your child safe at bath time

Before the bath:

• Get everything you need ready before bath time.
• Limit distractions as much as possible. Many accidents happen when a parent needs to pop out of the room to see to other children or use their phone.

Running the bath:

• Put cold water in first and top up with hot
• Test the temperature with your elbow (or thermometer)
• Put your baby in when it feels neither hot nor cold
• Avoid leaving a running bath unattended. Many burns happen when a child gets into the bath before it’s ready, plays with the hot tap or leans over to pick out a toy and falls in.

And remember: Many bath thermometers are powered by button batteries which can badly hurt or kill a child if swallowed. So, always check the battery compartment is secure. And remove it before you put your child in the bath, so they can’t play with it.

During the bath:

• Stay with your baby or young child all the time they’re in the bath. Keep them in arm’s reach.
• Remember bath seats can topple or your baby can slip out. Don’t leave your baby alone in one even for a moment.
• Don’t rely on young children to keep an eye on the baby while you pop out for a towel. They’re too young to recognise the danger and won’t react quickly enough.
• If you have to leave the room for any reason, take your baby with you.

After the bath:

• Empty the bath as soon as possible after use
• Remove all bath toys as they may block the plug
• Don’t leave your child in the bath if there is any water left in it.

Are bath seats safe?

Bath seats do not keep babies safe. Babies have drowned in bath seats when parents mistakenly believed it was safe to step out of the room for a moment.

While bath seats are great for supporting your baby in the bath, they are NOT designed to be safety aids.

A baby or small child can’t be safely left alone in one even for a moment. They can easily wriggle or slip out, or the seat can tip over and immerse the baby in the water.

Sadly 70% of babies who drowned in the bath in the last four years were using a bath seat at the time, according to the Royal Life Saving Society.

If you choose to use a baby bath aid or seat:

• Keep your child within arm’s reach at all times
• Make sure it is firmly stuck to the bottom of the bath but don’t rely on it to keep your baby safe
• Remember that bath aids are not safety devices

Learn more

Buying safe bath toys

Bath toys from reputable brands are made to be safe. But if they’ve come from an unknown seller on an online marketplace, amarket or small discount store, they could be dangerous.

• Buy toys from brand names you know. If you’ve never heard of the seller or the brand and price is really tempting, it could be dangerous
• Be especially careful when buying for under 3s or children as they’re most at risk from dangerous toys
• Watch out for small parts that can come off and cause choking
• Look out for bath toys or thermometers with easy to access button batteries
• If you buy something that looks unsafe, trust your instincts and send it back.

Learn more about buying safe toys