Safety Key in Child's Bath Time

Dr. Jennifer Ashton Shares Her Tips for Protecting Your Kids in the Tub

(CBS)  Bath time isn’t always a safe time for kids.

A study by the American Academy of Pediatrics shows more than 43,000 children make a trip to the emergency room every year for a tub or shower injury.

But on "The Early Show" Monday, CBS News correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton showed ways to keep your kids safe at bath time.

Ashton said newborns require - and often get - extreme care. It's when children get a bit older, she said, when injuries start to occur.

"Anyone who's bathed a child knows how chaotic the bathroom scene can be," she said. "The point is there are a lot of areas of potential danger."

Ashton said falls and spills are common. But a fall can be just the beginning. Ashton said children can also hit the faucet or the side of the tub as a secondary injury.

Ashton said children can also fall on the tub’s side, incurring what is known as a "straddle injury."

Children's bathtime injuries, Ashton said, range from cuts and bruises to being knocked unconscious. She added that a number of elderly people sduffer the same injuries in the bathtub.

So, how do you prevent them?

Ashton recommended using a rubber mat or sticky treads in your tub, and using faucet cover.

You also should guard against scalding, she said. Water in the bath shouldn’t be hotter than 120 degrees Fahrenheit, she said.

But how do you know if the water is too hot for your child?

Ashton suggested using a new rubber duck toy that will tell you if the water is too hot.