Baby Bathtub Seats Or Rings (not Toys)
Twenty years of CPSC NEISS emergency-room records for this consumer product category, combined with demographic breakdowns, multi-year injury trends, and matching recall notices.
Nursery & Baby Products · CPSC Code 1557
Up 61% over 5 years
The verdict
Baby Bathtub Seats Or Rings (not Toys) carry a danger score of 41/100 (moderate risk), driven by roughly 122 ER-treated injuries a year that are rising by about 61% over the last five years.
- 41/100
- danger score (moderate risk)
- 122
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 15.3%
- end in hospital admission
- 0-4
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 1557 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 41/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for baby bathtub seats or rings (not toys) - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume122 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)15.3%
- Fatality rate0.43%
- 5-year trend+61%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Baby Bathtub Seats Or Rings (not Toys) (CPSC product code 1557, in the Nursery & Baby Products category) generate an estimated 122 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 2,444 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 41/100 for this category (moderate risk), combining raw injury volume, demographic reach, severity of outcome, and multi-year trend. The five-year trajectory shows that injury counts are rising by about 61% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2009 (280 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2006 (11 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for baby bathtub seats or rings (not toys) is internal injury to the head, accounting for approximately 476 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by submersion to the all parts body (475 cases). The 0-4 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 2,056 cases over the NEISS window, and females appear slightly more often than the opposite sex in that cohort. Severity outcomes from the NEISS disposition field show that 15.3% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer, and a small fraction (0.43%) result in fatality.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 24 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how baby bathtub seats or rings (not toys) fail in real households. Every figure on this page comes from CPSC-published data: NEISS projects national estimates from a probability sample of about 100 U.S. hospital emergency departments, while SaferProducts.gov collects voluntary reports from consumers, manufacturers, and clinicians. The danger score, trend indicators, and demographic breakdowns update automatically when CPSC releases a new yearly NEISS file, which is why this page is dated 2024-12-31. For regulatory context, consult CPSC recall notices and the SaferProducts.gov public database linked below.
Annual Injury Estimates (2005–2024)
Source: CPSC NEISS national estimates CPSC NEISS national estimates Injuries represent ER-treated cases only
Who Gets Injured?
| Age Group | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-4 | 910 | 1,146 | |
| 5-14 | 68 | 71 | |
| 15-24 | 0 | 62 | |
| 25-34 | 75 | 96 | |
| 35-44 | 16 | 0 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| All Parts Body | Submersion | |
| All Parts Body | Anoxia | |
| Not Stated/unk | Other | |
| Face | Laceration | |
| Internal | Aspiration | |
| All Parts Body | Other | |
| Head | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Knee | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Upper Trunk | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Pubic Region | Laceration | |
| Mouth | Dental Injury | |
| Upper Trunk | Burn, Scald | |
| Face | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Lower Leg | Burn, Scald |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
9 MOM PRESENTS FOLLOWING FALL. BABY TIPPED OVER IN THE BATHTUB AT HOME WHILE IN BATH CHAIR LAST NIGHT AND WAS FUSSY AFTERWARDS BUT SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT. DX: FALL INVOLVING BATH CHAIR AS CAUSE OF ACCIDENTAL INJURY.
5YOF, SLID OUT OF BATHTUB SEAT DX: FALL, WELL BABY EXAM
6MOF PRESENTS AFTER A NEAR DRWONING AFTER SHE WAS IN BATHTUB WITH OLDER SISTER AND MOM WALKED AWAY AND WHEN SHE RETURNED THE PATIENT HAD SLID OUT OF BABY TUB AND WAS UNDER WATER DX: ACCIDENTAL SUBMERSION WHILE IN BATHTUB, NEAR DROWNING
7MOM PRESENTS WITH MEDICAL CHECKUP, PER PATIENTS MOTHER THE PATIENT WAS IN A BABY BATH IN THE TUB, MOTHER TURNED TO GRAP SOMETHING AND THE BABY SLIPPED OFF IN THE TUB WATER. PER MOM PATIENT WAS NOT COMPLETELY SUBMERGED. NO LOC, NO CHOKING, BEHAVING AT BASELINE. DX: FALL INTO WATER , COUGH
4MOM GETTING A BATH IN A BATH SEAT AND HIT HEAD ON THE SEAT DX: CHI
3YOF PRESENTS TO THE ED FOR EVALUATION OF LEFT RING FINGER INJURY. MOTHER REPORTS PATIENT WAS HIT WITH A PLASTIC BABY BATHING TUB BY SIBLING TODAY DX: FRACTURE, HEMATOMA, AND CRUSH INJURY OF FINGER
4WOM WAS IN THE BATH THIS EVENING WHEN HE HIT THE LATERAL SIDE OF HIS R HAND WHERE THE SLIP IS ON THE RIM OF THE BABY BATH CONTAINER (SOFT MATERIAL, POSSIBLY POLYESTER VS VELVET). DX: SMALL LAC TO R PINKY
11MOF FELL OUT OF BABY BATHTUB PLACED INSIDE A STAND UP SHOWER AND HIT HEAD. DX: CLOSED HEAD INJURY
8MOM PT HERE WITH HEAD INJURY, PT'S MOM WAS BATHING PT IN HER PLASTIC BATH TUB WHEN SHE FELL OUT OF IT AND HIT HEAD ON BIG BATH TUB, MOM WAS TILTING THE PLASTIC BATH TUB BACK TO FINISH RINSING THE PT, PT SLIPPED FORWARD, CRIED IMMEDIATELY. DX INJURY OF HEAD, FALL
8MOF PRESENTS TO ED AFTER FALL FROM TOP OF A CAR MOM PLACED PT IN A SEAT DESIGNED TO BATHE A CHILD IN W THE CHILD STRAPPED IN THE CHILD SLID OFF AND HIT THE BACK OF HER HEAD ON CONCRETE 2 EPISODES OF EMESIS SINCE DX: INJURY OF HEAD
3MOF PT WAS IN A BATHTUB THAT FIT IN A SINK BUT IT SLIPPED OUT AND PT SLIPPED OUT OF THE SINK ONTO THE FLOOR DX HEAD TRAUMA, SKULL FRACTURE, FRACTURE OF CLAVICLE
4WOM DOES HAVE HEAD BRUISE AFTER MOM WAS BATHING HIM AND HIS TUB FELL FROM BATHROOM COUNTER TO FLOOR. DX: SCALP BRUISE
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
I was given a Fisher Price 4 in 1 bathtub for my newborn. I noticed that my daughter had cuts on her toes when we started using stage 2 of the tub. Upon further investigation. This issue has been commonly reported on [REDACTED]. Many other children have also been injured on their feet and toes by using this product. There are no sharp edges on the seat but it appears that the type of plastic is rough and causing injury to the feet
The bath seat was very unsafe for a seven-month-old,it had not an enclosed seat,my baby was sliped from the side,the top of her head hit the tub.She have been seriously hurt.Non-enclosed bath seat can tip over or an infant can slip underneath the front support, baby at risk of drowning.
My little girl was 11 months old an the suction cups did not stick to tub and she drowned, I was able to get a heartbeat and get her to the ambulance she ended up being life flighted and died a day later
The consumer says that on July 3rd 2013 she was giving her son a bath when she stepped away for a moment to grab a towel to get him out of the tub. She found her son out of the chair and fell into the water. Her son's face turned blue from difficulty breathing. The consumer performed CPR and rushed him to the Emergency Room. Her son was 8 1/2 months at the time of the incident. The unit is under recall (Release #05-219)
Baby was able to easily take off part of bath seat and put it in his mouth. It completely fit inside his mouth at 6 months old. If I didnt catch it, it would of blicked his airway.
My baby was injured using the Fisher-Price 4-in-1 Sling 'n Seat Tub, Multicolor. I was using it to bathe him, and following all instructions and basic safety. It was fine in the 1st mode with the sling, but when we first used it in the 2nd mode with the green insert is when the injury occurred. He was kicking and splashing in the tub, and something about the design of the green insert must have been abrasive even though it doesnt seem to be. And it rubbed the skin off of his toes pretty badly in approximately 5 minutes. I didnt realize it until I pulled him out of the tub, and his feet were bleeding.
Baby was in bath seat in tub and bath seat came apart. Baby almost fell into tub.
My 2 month old daughter cut her pinky toe while kicking her legs in the water
Showing 8 of 24 reports.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to baby bathtub seats or rings (not toys) on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are baby bathtub seats or rings (not toys)?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, baby bathtub seats or rings (not toys) have a danger score of 41/100 (moderate risk). An estimated 122 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from baby bathtub seats or rings (not toys)?
The most common injury is internal injury to the head, accounting for approximately 476 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from baby bathtub seats or rings (not toys) increasing or decreasing?
Up 61% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for baby bathtub seats or rings (not toys) injuries?
The 0-4 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 2,056 cases recorded over 20 years. Females are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by baby bathtub seats or rings (not toys)?
Of all ER visits involving baby bathtub seats or rings (not toys), approximately 15.3% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (84.7%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with baby bathtub seats or rings (not toys)?
You can file a consumer incident report at SaferProducts.gov, the official CPSC reporting portal. Reports help the CPSC identify emerging hazards and trigger investigations or recalls. You can also call the CPSC hotline at 1-800-638-2772.
Related Products in Nursery & Baby Products
Safety Guides
What this means for you
Treat the 41/100 score as relative risk between products, not your personal odds of injury.
- See where this category ranks against every other tracked product. Full rankings
- Injuries cluster in the 0-4 age group, take extra care if that describes your household.
- Check for active recalls on this product before you assume it is safe. CPSC recalls
NEISS estimates ER-treated injuries from a national probability sample of hospitals; they do not capture injuries treated elsewhere or not treated at all.
Data: CPSC National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) 2005–2024 and SaferProducts.gov consumer incident reports. Injury estimates are based on a nationally representative probability sample of U.S. hospital emergency departments. This page is for informational purposes only and is not affiliated with the CPSC.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, scored, and verified.
