The Consumer Product Safety Commission in the United States has come out with new standards for the makers of baby bath seats and bath rings. They are the first mandatory changes for the industry but they won't be the last.
Since 1983 in Canada there have been at least 12 infant drowning incidents and 25 close calls associated with the seats. In the U.S. there have been over 170 drowning deaths since '83. The problem: the products can lull care givers into a false sense of security that the infant is supported -- when in fact the seat can easily tip over or the baby can slip out. The new U.S. standards mandate more stability, tighter leg openings, and a more prominent warning label telling parents never to leave a baby alone in the water. The standards take effect in six months and are likely the first of many to come under a new U.S. consumer protection law.
Canada has been reviewing the sale of bath seats since 2007, It's now looking at whether to ban them outright or adopt mandatory standards like the U.S. In the meantime, Health Canada continues to educate parents and caregivers about the dangers of infant bath seats and rings.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Chris Olsen.
