Preventing Indoor Baby Water Tragedies

When it concerns a baby, preventing tragedies means remaining constantly on alert for things that don't immediately appear to be dangerous, but that can be deadly for babies and toddlers.

Babies are not safe around any concentration of water. Even one inch of water, which looks like nothing at all, can be deadly to a little one. While most baby water accidents inside the home involve the bathtub, approximately one-third happen outside the bath. Whenever water is present we must be constantly attentive. Paying attention to these simple tips will reduce the chance that your baby will become a statistic.

Toilets are fascinating to toddlers, who love to splash in the water. Their legs and arms are still short, and when they reach into the bowl they must stretch to reach the water. Because toddlers are top heavy, they can easily topple head first into the bowl. Their build makes it difficult or impossible for them to get themselves back out.

When you have a toddler in the house, keep the lid down on the toilet, and keep the bathroom door closed at all times. If your child can open doors, use a door knob guard or a small hook and eye placed too high for the baby to reach. You don't ever want your baby in the bathroom alone.

The fish tank can be another drowning hazard. Small children are fascinated by the colorful fish and the water. If they can, they will be tempted to crawl up to reach into the tank for the fish. If they don't knock the entire apparatus to the floor they can fall into the tank and drown. Be sure that fish tanks are covered and are placed too high to reach. Remove any furniture on which your toddler could climb to get at this attraction. Both the fish and your child will thank you.

Be attentive to coolers and other containers with ice, food and or drinks. If your toddler sees you or your guests reaching into a cooler for a treat, the baby is going to imitate you. Because they can fall over the side easily toddlers can drown in the melted water if not rescued quickly. The lid of a cooler is dangerous as well, because it can easily fall down onto a small child's head. Never let babies or toddlers reach into a cooler themselves.

If you are using a bucket in the house, empty it before leaving the room and place it out of sight in a safe place. It is amazing that a baby could fall into a bucket without tipping it over, but it has happened all too often with tragic results.

Most children enjoy playing in the water. We encourage them to play in the bath water every day. But small children cannot discriminate between "safe water" and "unsafe water." It is our job to stay three steps ahead of an inquisitive baby or toddler when there is any container of water larger than a cup in their vicinity.