Albeit the conclusion of the outdoor swimming/pool season has drawn to a close, there still remains a threat of in-home drownings to young children. Children under 5 years of age have drown at home in bathtubs, baby seats, buckets and other products, and according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), 90 children were reported to have drowned over a 3 year period this decade (2003-2005). Of those 90 children younger than 5 years old, 62% of the children died in a bathtub; 15% died in a bathinette or baby seat, 11% drowned in a bucket or paid; 6% drawned from landscapting or yard products and 4% drowneed from other products.
There was an annual average of an additional 39 reports during 2005 to 2007 of non-fatal submersion incidents using the same products. The majority of the drownings occur with children 2 years of age or young.
he end of outdoor swimming and pool season doesn’t mean the end of drowning dangers for young children. After pools, more children drown in bathtubs than in any other product in and around the home.
Anytime there is water present, there is a risk or hazard associated with water and young children should never be left unsupervised when in or around bathtubs, bath seats or buckets.
The CPSC recommends that the following safety tips when children are in or around bathtubs, bath seats, buckets, spas, or decorative ponds or fountains, namely:
Never leave young children alone, even for a moment, near any water. Young children can drown quickly in even small amounts of water.
Always keep a young child within arm's reach in a bathtub. If you must leave, take the child with you.
- Don't leave a baby or toddler in a bathtub under the care of another young child.
- Never leave a bucket containing even a small amount of liquid unattended. Toddlers can fall headfirst into buckets and drown.
- After using a bucket, always empty and store it where young children cannot reach it.
- Don’t leave buckets outside where they can collect rainwater.
- Learn CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation). It can be a lifesaver when seconds count.
The figures cited above and other data on non-pool and non-spa submersion
incidents can be found in CPSC’s 2008 Submersions Related to Non Pool and Non Spa Products (PDF), which includes the latest available data: fatalities for 2003-2005 and non-fatal incidents for20 05-2007. Fatality and injury data differ due to a lag in reporting fatalities.Pool and spa related injuries and fatalities are presented in other submersion reports. For more information, see www.cpsc.gov/library/data.html
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