New baby bath seat presents a hazard



Baby bath seats, almost all of which stick to a bathtub with suction cups, have been blamed for about 120 drownings and at least 160 injuries since 1983.

In July 2000, Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports, and other consumer organizations petitioned the Consumer Product Safety Commission to ban the seats. So far, the only reform in store is a revision of a voluntary industry safety standard that's due to take effect on Feb. 1, 2005. Seats using suction cups are unlikely to adhere to the nonskid surface in new tubs and thus may tip with less force than the revised standard allows.

The new Safety 1st Tubside Bath Seat, which doesn't rely on suction cups, claims to conform with the new standard. It relies on a spring clamp that fits over the edge of the tub (see photo at right). However, our tests show that it's a problematic design. We found that when the tub wall is wet, the seat tipped forward or backward and dislodged with less force than the revised safety standard specifies for suction-cup seats.

Between 700,000 and 1 million infant bath seats, many made by Safety 1st, are sold each year for $10 to $20 each. Manufacturers generally recommend the seats for infants between 5 and 10 months old.

Nearly all the deaths associated with bath seats have occurred when a parent or caregiver left the baby unattended momentarily. Opponents of a ban, including former CPSC commissioner Mary Sheila Gall, say that the problem lies with the way in which adults use the seats with babies, in addition to the hazards of the bath seats, themselves. “There is never any valid reason to leave an infant unattended in a tub,” she said in a statement. The revised standard requires a strong warning label that says, in part, “always keep baby within arm's reach.”

The ban's proponents say that despite warning labels, the seats induce a false sense of security, leading people to think that they can turn their back on the baby for a short time.

The bottom line. Avoid using any baby bath seat, including the Safety 1st Tubside Bath Seat. We think it's safer to use a sink or a small bathing tub that holds only a small amount of water, cradling your infant throughout the bath. Bath seat or no, never turn your back on an infant in a bathtub.

Given the troubled history of baby bath seats, we continue to believe that the CPSC should ban the product rather than continue its quest for a feasible standard.

potluck,

That is terrible! Because many of we (parents) trust almost 'blindly' in what we buy for our kids

From now and on, I will only buy the regular stuff, from 'common' shops, like this:

http://www.babybathseat.com/