Closing the “Towel Gap” in Bath-Time Safety
Seraph Safety Mission is an Arkansas-based 501(c)(3) focused on drowning prevention education and practical safety tools for babies, toddlers, and the families who care for them—especially during the routine moments where risk is highest.
Arkansas snapshot (state evidence base)
Arkansas Infant & Child Death Review (ICDR) reporting for deaths occurring in 2023 documents 12 unintentional drowning deaths among infants and children. The report notes most occurred in open water, with a smaller—but operationally important—fraction occurring in pool-or-bathtub settings.
Why bathtubs still matter—even when open water dominates
Infants: bathtub concentration
National NCHS surveillance reports that during 2018–2019, most unintentional drowning deaths among infants under age 1 occurred in bathtubs (about 75%).
Source: NCHS Data Brief 413.
In-home drowning is often a bathtub event
CPSC safety information states that nearly 90 children drown inside the home each year and that two-thirds occur in the bathtub. CPSC also warns a child can drown in as little as 2 inches of water, and that drowning can be quick and silent.
Our intervention concept: CCBSS
The Continuous-Contact Bath Safety System (CCBSS) is a combined behavioral + (potential) wearable approach designed to reduce risk during predictable bath-time interruptions.
Touch-First Bath Protocol (TFBP)
- STAGE: Before water is turned on, stage towels/diaper/clothes/soap within arm’s reach.
- TOUCH: Maintain continuous physical contact while baby is in the tub.
- INTERRUPTIONS: Extract → Secure → Resolve (remove baby from water first, every time).
Design evidence: Johnson et al. (2025).
Seraph Safety Wrap (wearable concept)
A rapid-securing, high-friction wrap/apron concept intended to help caregivers stabilize a wet, slippery child after extraction (not for in-water use).
Standards context: 16 CFR Part 1226 • CPSC carrier guidance.
Why this works as a “force multiplier”
A peer-reviewed bathtub submersion registry analysis (Central Texas, 2014–2023) found that 91% of incidents involved caregivers who intended to supervise, but only 24% were engaged in supervising at the moment of the incident. Common interruption patterns included retrieving towel/clothes (~39%) and caring for other children (~20%).
Get involved
Hospitals & newborn programs
We’re building low-burden training materials that can fit into postpartum discharge education and newborn visits.
Community partners
If you work in maternal health, home visiting, WIC-adjacent education, or pediatric safety, we’d like to coordinate distribution and training.