We all want to keep our children safe and secure and help them live to
their full potential.
Knowing how to prevent leading causes of child injury, like drowning,
is a step toward this goal.
Every day, about ten people die from unintentional drowning. Of these,
two are children aged 14 or younger.
Drowning ranks fifth among the leading causes of unintentional injury
death in the United States.
The main factors that affect drowning risk are lack of swimming
ability, lack of barriers to prevent unsupervised water access, lack of close
supervision while swimming, location, failure to wear life jackets, alcohol
use, and seizure disorders.
When most of us are enjoying time at the pool or beach, injuries aren’t
the first thing on our minds. Yet, drownings are the leading cause of injury
death for young children ages 1 to 4, and three children die every day as a
result of drowning.
Drowning can happen quickly and quietly anywhere there is water (such
as bathtubs, swimming pools, buckets), and even in the presence of lifeguards.
Thankfully, parents can play a key role in protecting the children they
love from drowning.
Prevention
Tips
Learn life-saving skills. Everyone should know the basics of swimming
(floating, moving through the water) and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
Supervise When in or Around
Water. Designate a responsible adult to watch young children while swimming
or playing in or around water. Supervisors of preschool children should provide
“touch supervision”, be close enough to reach the child at all times.
Fence it off. Install a
four–sided isolation fence, with self–closing and self–latching gates, around
backyard swimming pools. This can help keep children away from the area when
they aren’t supposed to be swimming. Pool fences should completely separate the
house and play area from the pool.
Make life jackets a "must."
Make sure kids wear life jackets in and around natural bodies of water, such as
lakes or the ocean, even if they know how to swim. Life jackets can be used in
and around pools for weaker swimmers too.
It cannot be stressed enough that children should wear a life jacket
EVERY SINGLE TIME THEY ARE IN THE WATER.
Think of how devastating it would be for your child to drown when you
could have made sure they were protected by a life jacket. Even if your child is older, things happen in
the water, especially when participating in water sports, which might leave the
child incapacitated and unable to save themselves.
Be on the look out. When
kids are in or near water (including bathtubs), closely supervise them at all
times. Because drowning occurs quickly and quietly, adults watching kids in or
near water should avoid distracting activities like playing cards, reading
books, talking or texting on the phone, and using alcohol or drugs. Adults should be paying attention, even when
lifeguards are on duty.
Be vigilant about safety around
the water. It only takes a moment to
lose a loved one, but a lifetime to wonder if you could have prevented a
drowning death.
Source: CDC.
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