The Public Health Agency (PHA) has highlighted the risks of baby bath seats after data revealed deaths have increased with their use.
According to a survey from the Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS UK), there is a ‘worrying’ misconception that it is a safety device.
The survey showed that almost three-quarters of parents (72%) believe a baby bath seat is designed to keep a baby safe, which is not the case.
Deirdre Ward, Nurse Consultant at the PHA, said that the number of children sadly drowning in the bath has increased.
“Many of these tragic deaths were of children five and under, and a number included the use of a bath seat,” she said.
“No child should drown, and we believe that it is vitally important to understand as much as possible about the circumstances and factors contributing to child drowning deaths in order to raise awareness, and ultimately reduce the number of young lives lost. Each baby’s death is a tragedy, so we want to educate and empower parents and guardians to reduce the risk of death by drowning.
“Baby bath seats can give you a false sense of security, and we do not recommend using them. However, if you choose to use one, remember that it’s not a safety device. You will still need to stay with your baby at all times, keeping them within arm’s reach, as babies can drown quickly and in very shallow water.”
More than half of the parents surveyed (55%) believe that children who are struggling in water usually thrash about and make a lot of noise, but drowning happens quickly and quietly in as little as 2cm of water – enough to cover a child’s mouth and nose.
The PHA is supporting the RLSS UK campaign ‘Splash Safety at Your Pad’ to help ensure all parents and guardians know how to keep their child safe while in the bath and to highlight the risks of baby bath seats.
Matt Croxall, Charity Director at RLSS UK, said they want to educate more families to be aware of the risks, so they are able to stay safe.
“Our ‘Splash Safety at your Pad’ campaign aims to share important water safety messages with families across the UK and Ireland in a fun and engaging way,” he said.
“We hope this campaign has a positive impact on families with young ones and makes all the difference.”
