Bath water, hot drinks and cooking pots: water and heat safety

Bath time can be the sweetest part of the day: warm water, splashing hands, the smell of clean baby. The kitchen is the heart of many homes, full of steam and good smells. But water and heat are also behind some of the most serious accidents in the first year. A few habits, practised every day, make a big difference.

Bath time rules

• Get everything ready first: towel, clean nappy, clothes and toiletries within reach before your baby goes in.
• Never leave your baby alone in or near the bath, not even for a second. Babies can drown quickly and silently in just a few centimetres of water. If the doorbell or phone rings, wrap your baby in a towel and take them with you, or let it ring.
• Bath seats and rings are not safety devices. They can tip over, and babies can slip out. Always keep a hand on your baby.
• Older children are not supervisors. Never leave a sibling in charge of a baby in the bath.
• Cold first, then hot: run cold water first and then add hot, mixing well so there are no hot patches.
• Test the temperature with your elbow or a bath thermometer. It should feel warm, not hot, around body temperature (about 37°C).
• Keep your baby away from the hot tap, and if you can, turn down your hot water heater or fit a device that controls the water temperature.
• Empty the bath straight away after use.

Other water around the home

Buckets, basins, water storage drums, paddling pools, ponds and wells are all drowning risks for babies and toddlers. Empty them, cover them securely or keep your baby away from them, and always supervise water play closely.

Hot drinks and kitchens

• Never hold your baby while you drink a hot drink such as tea, coffee or hot chocolate, and never pass a hot drink over a baby's head. A hot drink can still scald a baby long after it was made.
• Put hot drinks well out of reach, away from table and counter edges.
• Use the back rings of the cooker and turn pan handles inwards.
• Keep your baby out of the kitchen while you cook, or safely strapped in a high chair well away from the cooker.
• Keep kettle cords out of reach, and use a cordless kettle if possible.
• If you cook outside or with a coal pot, firewood, charcoal or a kerosene stove, keep your baby well away from the flames and hot pots, and never leave fires burning unattended.
• Stir food heated in a microwave and test it before feeding, as it can heat unevenly.

Other hot things

• Irons and hair straighteners stay hot long after use. Put them away out of reach to cool.
• Use fireguards for fires and heaters, and keep candles, lanterns and lamps away from your baby.
• Do not use hot water bottles or electric blankets for babies.

First aid for burns and scalds

1. Remove your baby from the source of heat.
2. Cool the burn with cool or lukewarm running water for 20 minutes, as soon as possible.
3. Remove clothing or nappies near the burn, unless they are stuck to the skin.
4. Keep the rest of your baby warm with a blanket, as babies lose heat quickly.
5. Cover the burn loosely with a layer of cling film or a clean plastic bag.
6. Do not use ice, iced water, butter, oil, palm oil, toothpaste, raw egg or creams. These can make the injury worse.

When to get help

Any burn or scald on a baby should be checked by a doctor. Call your local emergency number or go to hospital immediately if the burn is larger than your baby's hand, is on the face, hands, feet, genitals or a joint, looks deep, white or charred, is caused by electricity or chemicals, or if your baby has breathed in smoke, seems drowsy or has breathing difficulties.

His care in all our ways

Psalm 91:11 speaks of God's angels given charge over us, to keep us in all our ways. That promise has comforted parents for centuries. It is not an invitation to carelessness, but a reminder that you are not the only one watching. You run the cold water first, you put your tea on the high shelf, and you rest in the God who cares for your child even more than you do.

A prayer at bath time

Father, thank you for warm water, clean skin and splashing hands. Keep my baby safe in the bath, in the kitchen and in every corner of our home. Help me to stay present and unhurried, and give me peace in your care. Amen.