Did you know this about baby bath seats?

[Rainallnight]

I had no idea they were implicated in so many accidents. We never had one but I don’t know if I’d have thought to look something like this up.

This is an absolutely tragic case.

It is desperately sad but really, the campaign ought to be: never leave your child alone in the bathroom. If they are in water, never turn your back on them even for a second.

Yes, I’ve read a few more articles now and the problem seems to be the false sense of security they give parents. Plus some of them can tip over

I think the danger lies in the false sense of security they can give, as a PP has said a child should just never be left alone

I cannot imagine what that mother must have felt walking back in to the bathroom and finding her baby under water. It’s horrific. I’m sure she lives with unimaginable regret.

Absolutely devastating. Every mothers worst nightmare. I trid my son once in one of them.swivel seats and realised he could slip and never again. I must actually bin it and not the charity shop encase anything would happen any other ba g

That poor family, I don't know how you'd ever get over this as a parent. But agree, it isn't the chair that killed him but a lapse of judgement / false sense of security / a tragic accident. That needs to be the message, that you can't ever leave them alone.

I do hope she manages to find a way to get through this.

Yes, it's always been an issue and my eldest is 28. It's people leaving them alone while they nip and get something and like everyone says the false sense of security

This really.

I’m not a particularly risk averse parent (DS fell off the sofa more times than I care to remember), but it’s only now my pair are 5 and 4 that I feel ok running out to grab an extra towel or whatever.

We didn’t have any bath seats, but I can remember looking at them and seeing disclaimers all over the packaging saying that they weren’t a safety device and never to leave a child in the bath unattended.

This is a known danger. Mine are all around 30, bath seats free up one hand for grabbing the shampoo. You don't leave the fecking bathroom.

I have 4 kids and never used them. But then I didn't leave mine in the bath alone until they were about 5. Can't imagine leaving a baby even in one of those, haven't clicked on the link but a mum was sent to prison because she left her baby in a bath seat and the baby drowned

That poor little boy, unimaginable.

I don't understand leaving the bathroom at all though, let alone for a few minutes. There's never a reason to leave a baby or toddler in the bath alone.

Sad case but I have 3dc and I've never ever left them in the bathroom alone below the age of 5. That warning was drilled into me as a new parent from multiple sources (like free advice from HV, Emma's Diary as well as books and websites) so not sure how anyone can be unaware.

Never used a bath seat either, but if I had I would still stay in the room - the outcome wouldn't have been the same if the adult hadn't left.

This is a don’t leave your kid in the bath, not a bath seats are dangerous

I’m afraid I couldn’t disagree much more OP. The fault here lies solidly with the parent who leaves their child (a 9 months old baby, no less) alone for several minutes while arsing around with a plug. What on earth were they thinking?

Bath seats are a useful adjunct for a (very) short period of time when baby can sit up but has a tendency to topple, to allow the parent to have two hand for a few seconds to grab some soap or wash a sibling. It’s literally on the packaging and in the instructions to NEVER leave them unattended.

My six and three year olds don’t get left for more than ten seconds and are told to sing at the top of the voices so I know their both still above water while I grab a towel.

I cannot fathom how anyone could think it was safe to leave a baby alone in a bath in any circumstances, seat or not.

I have a bath seat from DC1 and was just about to read the article and bin in instead of using it for my second.

Then read the article, and realised my original thought had been ok. You never leave the room when baby in bath, no matter what. Even in a seat. I drilled this into my husband when we first got the seat and we had no problems.

I'm a FTM with a one year old and I have never left the room while she's in the bath. The bath seat just assists me in washing her. This is such an awful story but I just can't imagine leaving the room while she's sitting in the water.

This!!!! The parent left the room for several minutes. You don’t do that ever. Seat or no seat!!!!

I've used bath seats previously for both DC, as with PP it's not about the seat but the fact you should NEVER leave your baby in a bath, no matter what. I'm not really sure why anyone would risk it, I thought all packaging and books were pretty clear (plus common sense)
I feel for the mum but it wasn't the bath seats fault.

Very sad.

It’s a tragic case of user error. It says on the box and also on all the seats themselves that they are not a life saving device (or words to that effect) and to never leave your baby unattended. They are there to make your life a bit easier on the arms when bathing the baby. When mine were old enough to sit up I had these for them and I sat on the loo seat watching but within arms reach if they ever fell. I don’t remember any of them falling but I absolutely knew not to ever leave them.

That poor mum. Noone deserves that outcome from a lapse in judgement.

All the posts with multiple exclamation marks about what a bad decision it was - what's the point? Do you think she isn't aware? Do you think you care more about what a tragedy it was than her?

This is nothing to do with bath seats and everything to do with leaving an infant unsupervised in the bath.
I'm sure the mother lives with unimaginable guilt and it's awful for everyone involved etc but I can't see what it has to do with the bath seat.
You can't leave children in a bath unsupervised let alone an infant. Period.

I have a bath seat and it has massive stickers saying don't leave child unattended.

So so sad. The only safe place for a baby in the bath is in your arms. I used to get in with them.

It's not the bath seat that's dangerous.

You just leave a child in the bath unattended.