By Truman Lewis
ConsumerAffairs.com
May 22, 2010
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has approved a new federal safety standard for infant bath seats, an effort it first undertook back in October 2003. Commissioner Thomas Moore urged strict enforcement action and said the government "should not wait for 23 more deaths before we take further action" and hinted he would prefer to ban the seats entirely.
"My own sense is that the bath seats, particularly as they have become sturdier and safer looking, are perpetuating the belief of some parents that their babies are safe and out of harms way when they are in the seat and that nothing will happen to their baby if they leave the bathroom for a few minutes," Moore said, citing studies as far back as 1999 that supported his view.
"I worry that there is no way to make these products safe enough to prevent the infant bath seat drownings we see every year. I think it is time for the Commission to resolve once and for all, by doing the appropriate research, the issue of whether bath seats add to the drowning deaths we already see in bath tubs, or whether, as the Commission believed in 2003, the seats are more than just a convenience for the caregivers and provide a degree of added safety from drowning for certain infants," he said.
Commissioner Anne Northup said she was dubious that the new standard would make much difference. She said a public education campaign warning of the danger of leaving an infant unattended in a bathtub for even a moment would be more effective.
"Such a campaign would likely save more lives than will publishing this final rule," she said.
No seats meet standard
A CPSC staff study found that no baby bath seat currently on the market complies with the new mandatory standard, Moore noted.
From 1983 through November 2009, there were 174 reported deaths involving bath seats and 300 reported non-fatal bath seat incidents. Many of the deaths and incidents involve babies left unattended while bathing.
The new regulation is the first mandatory standard issued by CPSC as required under the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) for a range of infant and toddler products.
Commissioners said the new requirements enhance current voluntary standards by adding stricter stability requirements to prevent the bath seat from tipping over, tighter leg opening requirements to prevent children from slipping through the leg openings and a larger permanent warning label alerting parents and caregivers that bath seats are not safety devices and that infants should never be left unattended in a bath seat.
The federal standard incorporates current voluntary standard provisions requiring latching and locking mechanisms, and compliance with CPSC's standards for sharp points and edges, small parts, and lead in paint.
Infant bath seats are used in a sink or tub to provide back and front support to a seated infant while he or she is being bathed. They are marketed for use with infants between five and 10 months of age.
CPSC staff is working to develop federal standards for nearly 20 other durable juvenile products, including bassinets, cribs, and infant walkers.
The final rule on infant bath seats goes into effect six months after publication in the Federal Register. Bath seats manufactured or imported on or after that date will be required to meet the new mandatory standard.
