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18th Oct 2024

Safety expert says baby baths give ‘false sense of security’ but can be deadly

Kat O'Connor

“It’s easy to assume they’re safe”

A baby expert is warning parents about the dangers of baby baths/seats.

She stressed that being aware of the hazards in your home is the best way you can protect your baby.

Child Accident Prevention Trust CEO, Katrina Phillips said baby baths or baby seats give parents a “false sense of security”.

“It’s easy to assume they’re safe for a few seconds,” she told The Sun.

“But we know of too many tragedies where a baby has slipped out or the seat has toppled into the water,” she warned.

Phillips shared that even leaving them alone for a few seconds is extremely dangerous.

She stressed the importance of never ever leaving a baby unattended in the bath, even if they’re in a bath seat or baby bath. She added that leaving them alone with an older sibling isn’t a good idea either.

Monitoring your baby during every second of bath time is the best way to protect them

“Bath seats are not made to be safety devices and babies need you with them constantly when they’re in the bath,” she commented.

She explained how bath seats can often topple over and could even trap your little one under the water.

Phillips added that monitoring your baby during every second of bath time is the best way to protect them.

The warning comes after a mum in Australia found her son asleep in the bath at 4am.

She posted on the local CPR Kids page as a warning to other mums: “At 4am our four-year-old son came running down to our bedroom shouting that his brother was in the bath and needed urgent help. We found our cheeky, adventurous two-year-old in the bath fully clothed with nappy and everything on.”

“He had pulled up a stool to climb in (he’s never climbed in on his own before).

“He then put the plug in, turned the tap on and the bath was overflowing and the bathroom was flooding.”

“Obviously there’s been a lock put on the bathroom door now. The plug is also in a locked cupboard and I have purchased an alarm sensor to put on his door.”

“I hope this story can educate other parents because honestly I consider myself to be really on top of child safety, every effort is taken to ensure the safety of our kids at all times but I honestly just never thought of locking away the plug.”

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