CPSC Toughens Safety Rules Amid 31 Infant Bath Fatalities

The drownings of dozens of babies in infant bathtubs have sparked more stringent safety standards for the products, a federal commission announced Wednesday.

New Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) rules, which will take effect Oct. 2, come in the wake of 31 fatalities, all but one of which was a drowning.

All but two of the babies were under the age of 1, the agency said; in most cases, they drowned after their parent left the room.

"Because no one witnessed most of the incidents, [we] cannot determine a pattern that led to the submersions," the CPSC wrote in the Federal Register. "However, in [most cases], the parent or guardian was not present at the time the incident occurred. Frequently, the child was found floating."

The commission estimates 2,300 injuries related to the tubs from 2004-2015.

There are more than 4 million infant bath tubs being used around the country, The Hill reported.

According to The Hill, the rules were originally proposed during the Obama administration, but are being finalized under the Trump administration.

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