According to the latest statistics, the number of children drowning in the bath increased from four in 2019-2020 to 12 in 2021-2022. Seven of these deaths were of babies under the age of five, and in five cases, baths seats were being used.
In the majority of cases (82 per cent), the child had been left alone in the bath. The most common reasons for doing so were to take a phone call, leave the room to get something like a towel, confusion about who was supervising the child or attending to a sibling or other young children.
The data released today comes from the University of Bristol's National Child Mortality Database (NCMD).
Register now to continue reading
Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Unlimited access to news and opinion
-
Email newsletter providing activity ideas, best practice and breaking news
Already have an account? Sign in here