Safety regulator: 31 babies drowned inside infant bath tubs

Federal regulators are taking a closer look at children’s bath tubs after dozens of babies drowned to death.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) said Wednesday it is strengthening the safety standards for infant bath tubs to “further reduce the risk of injury.”

There are more than 4 million infant bath tubs being used around the country.

These miniature bathtubs help young children sit upright while their parents wash them with soap and shampoo. They are typically placed over the sink or inside of a regular bathtub. In some cases, they include “shower attachments and even whirlpool settings,” the agency noted.

But the CPSC is concerned about the dangers these bath tubs may present to young children.

The CPSC estimates 2,300 children have been injured inside infant bath tubs since 2004. That projection stems from 281 “incidents” that were reported to the agency, but it believes there could be many more cases that went unreported.

Thirty-one babies died as a result of the injuries they suffered inside these bath tubs, according to the CPSC. All but two of these children were under the age of 1. In most cases, they drowned after their parent left the room.

“Because no one witnessed most of the incidents, [we] cannot determine a pattern that led to the submersions,” the CPSC wrote in the Federal Register. “However, in [most cases], the parent or guardian was not present at the time the incident occurred.

“Frequently, the child was found floating.” 

The CPSC is an independent agency that enjoys a degree of separation from the White House. The rules were originally proposed during the Obama administration, but are being finalized under the Trump administration.

The new safety standards go into effect on Oct. 2.