Bucket-related drownings in the United States, 1984 through 1990

The purpose of the study is to document the incidence of bucket-related drowning in the United States and to identify factors associated with this type of submersion injury. Analysis of Consumer Product Safety Commission data revealed 160 bucket-related drownings for the years 1984 through 1989, representing a mortality rate of 0.367 per 100 000 persons (younger than 2 years old) per year in the United States. Eighty-eight percent of bucket drownings occurred in toddlers aged 7 to 15 months old. Black children were six times more likely to drown in a bucket than white children of similar age (P < .0001). Male toddlers were at significantly greater risk than females (P < .01). A seasonal trend present in the data indicated that infants are more likely to drown in warmer than in colder months (P < .01). States with the highest rates of bucket drowning were Vermont (2.1/100 000), Arizona (1.5/100 000), and Illinois (1.0/100 000). Through passive and active educational strategies, perhaps this fatal home injury can be prevented.