Water Safety for Babies and Crawlers

To keep a baby safe around water, keep a hand on them whenever they are in water, never leave them alone or with another young child near water, and empty every container a crawling baby could reach. Babies can drown in just 1 or 2 inches of water, silently and within seconds.

This page covers the first year: bath time, the new hazards that appear once your baby starts to move, and the moments when adults get pulled away.

Why babies are at risk

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) explains that babies can drown in as little as 1 or 2 inches of water, silently and within seconds (opens in a new tab). Infants don't have much neck and muscle control. If even a little water covers their nose and mouth, they can't lift their head to breathe.

3 in 4

The AAP adds that most child drownings inside the home happen in bathtubs, and more than half of bathtub deaths involve children under 1 (opens in a new tab). In many cases they happen during a short lapse in adult supervision.

Babies also change fast. The AAP notes that it's hard to know exactly when a baby will start to reach, roll, crawl or pull up, so the key is to stay one step ahead (opens in a new tab). Fix the hazards before your baby can reach them, not after.

Bath time: a hand on your baby, always

For a baby, water safety starts with the first bath. The AAP's rule is touch supervision (opens in a new tab): have the towel and bath supplies within reach before you start, so you can keep one hand on your baby at all times.

• Set up first. Lay out the towel, soap, diaper and clothes before the water runs.
• Take your baby with you. If you forget something or the doorbell rings, the AAP says to bring your baby with you (opens in a new tab), even if you're using an infant tub or bath seat.
• Don't trust a bath seat. The AAP warns that infant bath seats can tip over and babies can slip out of them and drown in a few inches of water (opens in a new tab). A seat helps your hands; it doesn't replace them.
• Drain the tub right away. Then the water is gone before anyone can come back to it.

For the full bath routine, see our bath time safety guide.

Water hazards at crawling height

Once your baby can crawl and pull up, every container of water becomes a hazard. Get down on the floor and look at your home from their height.

Containers. The AAP says never leave a filled, open-top water container unattended (opens in a new tab). Empty these right after use:

• buckets and pails used for cleaning or painting
• wading pools
• coolers with melted ice
• large water bowls for pets
• trash cans or recycling bins that collect rainwater

Buckets need extra care. CPSC explains that the tall, straight sides and stability of a 5-gallon bucket make it nearly impossible for top-heavy infants to free themselves when they topple in headfirst (opens in a new tab). Empty them and store them upside down.

Toilets and the bathroom. Babies can topple headfirst into a toilet and be unable to get out. The AAP suggests safety latches on toilet lids, removing the tub's drain plug when it's not in use, and latches or doorknob covers to keep the bathroom closed (opens in a new tab).

The yard. Before your baby crawls, check outside for wells, ditches, open post holes, bird baths, fountains and ponds. The AAP suggests holding off on installing or using bird baths, fountains and ponds until your baby is older (opens in a new tab). Any pool, including a large inflatable one, needs a fence on all four sides.

We don't repeat the full house tour here. Use the room-by-room home hazard checklist, or work through the interactive audit:

Siblings and pets

Siblings love to help, but they can't supervise. The AAP is clear: never leave your baby alone or in the care of another young child in or near water, not even for a moment (opens in a new tab). Give older brothers and sisters jobs that really help:

• close the bathroom door behind them
• tell a grown-up when they see a bucket or a full tub
• fetch the towel before bath time starts

Pets add water at floor level. A large water bowl sits exactly where a crawling baby plays. Empty it when it's not in use, as the AAP suggests, or put it where your baby can't reach. The same goes for pet pools and outdoor water troughs.

Caregivers and distractions

The AAP notes that bathtub drownings often happen during a lapse in adult supervision (opens in a new tab). Plan ahead for the moments that pull you away.

• Put the phone down. CDC says adults watching children in or near water, including bathtubs (opens in a new tab), should avoid distracting activities like reading or using the phone. Let calls go to voicemail during bath time.
• No alcohol while supervising. CDC says do not drink alcohol while supervising children (opens in a new tab).
• Brief every caregiver. Grandparents, babysitters and relatives may have learned different rules. Share yours, and print the Water Rules for Babysitters for the fridge. Our guide to water safety rules for babysitters and grandparents covers what to share with them.
• Check new places. The AAP reminds families to think about water safety where friends, relatives and caregivers live, and places you stay during family trips (opens in a new tab).

Near lakes, the ocean or a boat, a baby needs a properly fitted, U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket. Water Safety USA says infants and young children should wear one with both a collar for head support and a strap between the legs (opens in a new tab). See life jackets for babies and children for sizes.

About baby swim classes. The AAP does not recommend infant swim programs for babies under 1 (opens in a new tab), because there is no evidence they lower drowning risk. A parent-child water play class is fine as a fun activity. Read what parent-and-baby classes can and can't do.

Learn infant CPR

The AAP says parents and caregivers should know CPR and basic rescue skills (opens in a new tab), and that classes with infant-specific training are offered through the American Red Cross, the American Heart Association, and local fire departments and park districts. Find one through where to learn CPR.

What you can do today

• Set out the towel and supplies before the next bath, and keep a hand on your baby the whole time.
• Put away any neck float, and stop relying on a bath seat to keep your baby safe.
• Get down on the floor and empty every bucket, cooler and large pet bowl you find. Flip buckets upside down.
• Add a toilet lid latch and a doorknob cover on the bathroom door.
• Tell everyone who watches your baby your water rules, and give them the Water Rules for Babysitters.
• Sign up for an infant CPR class.

When your baby starts walking, read water safety for toddlers: the toddler years bring the highest drowning risk of any age.