Bathroom Equipment Poses Drowning Danger to Kids

Bathtubs, buckets, bath seats, toilets, and other household items can pose a drowning hazard to your child, according to a new report from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

Drowning tops the list of unintentional death in children between one to four years of age.

According to the CPSC, in-home drowning and non-fatal submersions between 2006 and 2010 totaled nearly 700 incidents involving kids younger than five years of age, including an alarming 434 casualties and 233 injuries.

Bathtubs or bath-related products account for the majority of drowning incidents. The CPSC statistics indicate that 82 percent of these incidents involve children less than 2 years of age.

The CPSC's analysis of the fatalities resulting from such incidents shows 92 percent occurred in residential circumstances. Most (28 percent) involved a lapse in adult supervision, such as a parent or caregiver leaving the bathroom while the child was in the bathtub to answer the phone or door, or to retrieve a towel.

However, in 23 percent of fatalities the child was left with another child. Ten percent drowned outside the home in some decorative yard equipment or a bucket, and 3 percent drowned in a bucket or trash basket inside the home.

If you or a loved one has been harmed by an unsafe product, contact Sokolove Law for a free consultation and to find out if a product liability lawyer may be able to help you.

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