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Baby bath seat safety tips
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June 8, 2001: 6:22 a.m. ET
The government tells parents to never leave child alone
By Julie Vallese
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NEW YORK (CNNfn) - If you're still using a baby bath seat, which have been blamed for 78 infant deaths, the government recommends you never leave your child unattended and that you secure the suction cups on the product before use.
In the meantime, the Consumer Product Safety Commission is in the process of developing a new safety standard for the product.
Also, it may surprise you, but private businesses have the right to request your Social Security number on credit card and loan card applications, even video rental stores. That doesn't mean you have to give it to them, though.
Consumer safety affects us all. Unfortunately, it can be tough to track down information on product recalls, crash tests and government warnings. CNNfn is here to help. Send us your questions at consumer@cnnfn.com and we'll do our best to get them answered. The Q&A appears weekly on this page.
Question: I have a baby product that is made by Safety First called the 'Swivel Bath' seat. Are you aware of any recalls on this item? I've heard that there was something on your channel concerning them.
- Demetrius
Answer: Consumer groups are trying to get the government to ban baby bath seats as unsafe.
The groups, led by the Consumer Federation of America, contend: "Baby bath seats pose an unreasonable risk of injury and death to children. Each year at least eight babies die as a result of a drowning associated with bath seat use. Drowning typically occurs when the infant tips over, climbs out of, or slides throughout the product."
Though the seats are not considered defective, Chairman Ann Brown of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) says rulemaking to develop a government standard is being considered because baby bath seats, "encourage dangerous consumer behavior by instilling a false sense of security in a parent."
The CPSC says 78 infants have drowned since 1983 while using baby bath seats. The victims ranged in age from 5-to-20 months, but the majority were around 7 months.
All but three of the deaths happened when the child was left unattended by the caregiver in the bathtub. In two of the cases where the child was not left alone, the baby was trapped in the bath seat and the adult was unable to free the infant.
There are warnings on the seat to never leave an infant unattended in the tub. All safety experts agree that, no matter how safe a caregiver believes a product is, a child should never be left alone in water, not even for a second.
The CPSC voted May 30 to begin developing a safety standard for baby bath seats. In the meantime, it recommends parents who use these items never leave their baby alone and never use the seat in a non-kid, slip-resistant bathtub because the suction cups may not adhere to the bathtub surface. It also stressed the need to double check to make sure the suction cups are secure before use.
Question: I read your column on identity theft, it was very interesting. But I have a question about Social Security numbers. I set up a customer account at a video rental store in the one-horse-town in which I live. I had to submit my SSN and credit card number to start the account. The only damage I could do to this firm is failing to return a couple of DVDs costing $20 each.
Could I rightfully have refused to submit my SSN, and still be entitled to set up an account? Who can ask for a SSN, and when can one refuse to reveal it?
- Jon
Answer: Every American is required to have a Social Security number. The number is used for a variety of government services including tax purposes and benefit programs. You are required to provide your social security number when applying for a job or any of the above services. The federal government is governed by the Privacy Act, therefore they do not share your Social Security number except with other government agencies for tax reasons or the administration of public benefits. Even if your next of kin, spouse, or legal guardian calls the agency for your number to help with any personal business, the agency will not give out your number. The private sector is not governed by that same law.
In the case of applying for a credit card, loan or in your case a video rental card there is nothing prohibiting companies from asking for your number. You do have the right to refuse to give that information. However, if you choose not to provide the number, a company can deny you service or their product. You will need to weigh which is more important to you, keeping your number private or being provided services.
Some privacy experts we spoke with said in a case like yours (a local business where the people probably know you) you might ask if another number such as your phone number or house number could be used for tracking. This, however, probably wouldn't work with a large corporation or bank. 
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