Health Tip: Never Leave a Child Alone in the Tub

(HealthDay News) -- Young children -- not just infants -- still need strict supervision during bath time to prevent burns, drowning and other accidents.

Here are some suggestions for bath time safety, courtesy of the American Academy of Family Physicians:

• Never leave a child unattended in the bathtub, even for a few seconds. Don''t entrust an older child to watch a toddler, either.
• If you have to answer the door or the telephone, take the child with you.
• Always test the water in the bathtub yourself before immersing your child. A child''s sensitive skin can burn easily from water that''s too warm or hot.
• Keep all electrical appliances -- radios, hair dryers, curling irons, etc. -- far away from the tub.

-- Diana Kohnle

Last Updated: March 28, 2007

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