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Shared bathing and drowning in infants and young children
R Byard1, C de Koning, B Blackbourne
1Forensic Science Centre, Adelaide, Australia. byard.roger@saugov.sa.gov.au
Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health
|March 21, 2002
Summary
Shared bathing with a young sibling poses significant drowning risks for infants and toddlers. Constant adult supervision is crucial, as older siblings are not suitable caregivers in the bath.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric safety
- Forensic pathology
- Public health
Background:
- Shared bathing among young children is common but may present risks.
- Understanding these risks is crucial for preventing childhood drowning incidents.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the risks associated with shared bathing in early childhood.
- To analyze drowning incidents involving multiple children in a bath.
Main Methods:
- Searched autopsy databases from multiple hospitals and coroner's offices in Australia and the USA.
- Identified cases of drowning in children aged 2 years and under who were bathing with another child.
Main Results:
- 17 cases of drowning were identified in children aged 8-22 months.
- Surviving siblings were significantly older (19-48 months) and unsupervised periods were noted in all cases.
- These incidents constituted a substantial proportion (22-58%) of bath drownings in the under-2 age group.
Conclusions:
- Shared bathing requires constant adult supervision.
- Younger siblings are not appropriate supervisors for infants or toddlers in the bath.
- The presence of an older child may increase drowning risk for infants; further research is needed.
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