According to the latest statistics, the number of children drowning in the bath increased from four in 2019-2020 to 12 in 2021-2022. Seven of these deaths were of babies under the age of five, and in five cases, baths seats were being used.
In the majority of cases (82 per cent), the child had been left alone in the bath. The most common reasons for doing so were to take a phone call, leave the room to get something like a towel, confusion about who was supervising the child or attending to a sibling or other young children.
The data released today comes from the University of Bristol's National Child Mortality Database (NCMD).
Coroner's warning
It comes just weeks after a coroner issued a warning to parents after a nine-month-old baby was found drowned in a few centimetres of bath water.
The boy was left in his bath seat for a few minutes while his mum fitted a plug-in diffuser in his bedroom to help his cold. She discovered him face down in the bath, with the seat unfixed. It has been firmly attached to the bath when she left.
The tragic incidents have prompted a reminder from the Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT) to parents that ‘drowning happens quickly and silently’, and that ‘babies should be kept in arms’ reach whenever they are in water.'
The charity also warns that baths seats are not designed as safety devices so no babies should be left alone in them.
'It’s simply not safe to leave your baby or toddler alone in the bath.'
Chief executive Katrina Phillips said, ‘It’s heart-breaking to hear of these tragic bath drownings. And really worrying to see a year-on-year increase.
‘It’s simply not safe to leave your baby or toddler alone in the bath. Stay within arm’s reach all the time while they’re in water. Baby bath seats are designed to make bathing easier but they won’t keep your child safe. Your baby needs your arms close by for that.’
- For advice from CAPT on baby bath seats click here
