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Child Hot Tub Safety

Your child will always want to join you in the hot tub because it looks fun and bubbly. What your child does not know is that it can be very dangerous to do so. Child hot tub safety demands a number of things from parents and caregivers, which include the issues discussed below. Hot tubs have become more popular at homes and cottages in recent years and with this growing popularity we are also seeing a rise in the number of injuries and accidents across all ages. This past fall, the Center for Injury Research and US Nationwide Children's Hospital completed a large study examining accidents and injuries from 1997 to 2007. Part of the study specifically examined child hot tub safety and found that for children under 6 years of age near-drownings accounted for the majority of injuries. Additionally, children were also injured by jumping and diving.

GO To Child Hot Tub Safety Checklists

Never let your child use the hot tub without adult supervision.
Drowning can occur in a hot tub, and you need to keep a close eye in your child when you are anywhere near the hot tub area. You will be able to prevent an accidental drowning if you are nearby and can rescue your child.

Never let your child run around near the hot tub.
If your child is running, you might need to run after them to catch them, which puts you in danger as well. The area around a hot tub is usually wet and slippery, where you and your child could easily fall and get injured. Your child could also fall into the hot tub which is another cause of drowning accidents.

Always hold your child's hair up or in a bathing cap before entering the hot tub.
If your child's hair is long, it might get caught in the hot tub return and pull them down into the water, leading to drowning. It is very difficult to disentangle your child's hair in time to bring them up from under the water, so it is best to keep the hair out of the water in the first place.

Limit the time that your child will spend in the hot tub.
Your child will get hot faster than you will because of differences in body size. If you want to spend a longer time in the hot tub with your child, reduce the temperature of the water to avoid your child from overheating. If not, keep a close eye on their rising temperatures and teach them to be able to identify when they feel hot and take appropriate breaks from being in the water to cool down.

The maturity and body size of your child must determine if they will join you in the hot tub.
Your child should be able to stand in the hot tub with their heads high above the water level before you can consider letting them use the hot tub. Your child must even more importantly learn how to behave in a hot tub for their own sake, because you can encourage them not to play around in the tub or duck their heads under the water. It is imperative that child understand the difference between a hot tub and a swimming pool before they join you in the hot tub. If you trust that your child has met these requirements, you may let them use the hot tub knowing you are making it safer for them.

Always use a child hot tub safety cover when the hot tub is not in use.
The safety cover must be lockable and childproof to keep your child safely out of the hot tub. To enhance your child's safety, also childproof the locks to the hot tub area and place them high up and away from your child to grasp such as on the door from a basement walk-out or a kitchen sliding door out to the deck. Every precaution should be taken to keep your child as far from the hot tub as possible.

Always disinfect your hot tub before you consider letting your child in.
It is a proven fact that bacteria and other germs can find a breeding ground in a hot tub, thus requiring constant cleaning and maintenance. Your child can catch diseases and infections from the hot tub water. It is imperative to learn how to keep an optimal balance of chemicals in the hot tub for the whole family's health and well-being and to stay informed about how the particular chemicals you are using in your hot tub may affect a child.

These important tips will enhance child hot tub safety in your home to help you enjoy soaking and relaxing in the tub with with the whole family. Teach your child about the best ways of using the hot tub before you let them in as a youngster and they will have this knowledge their entire lives to keep them healthy and safe.