Be vigilant when kids are swimming or near the water
As many families plan summer vacations and activities, the American Academy of Pediatrics urges families and caregivers to provide multiple layers of protection to keep children and teens safe around water this summer, including swim lessons.
Drowning is the single leading cause of injury death for children ages 1 to 4, and it's one of the top causes of death for teens. In the summer, children often have more access to pools, lakes and other sources of water — all of which pose a drowning risk.
During the COVID pandemic shutdowns, many local pools and park districts canceled summer swim classes, and some parents opted to keep children closer to home to protect against infection. As water safety programs are again available, it's an opportunity to enroll children in classes that teach lifesaving swimming and water safety skills.
Swim lessons teach children a life skill that could help save their lives. Research shows formal swim lessons for children age 1 and older reduces the risk of drowning. Swim lessons are an important layer of protection to prevent drowning, in addition to pool fencing, close supervision and lifeguards while swimming, life jackets on boats and lakes, and CPR training.
Children can benefit from swimming lessons as young as age 1, but parents should gage their child's maturity, health concerns, water exposure and readiness to determine at what age to start swimming lessons.
Close, constant, attentive supervision around water is important. Assign an adult “water watcher,” who should not be distracted by work or socializing who can pay constant attention to swimming children.
Other layers of protection that can prevent drowning:
• Around the house, empty all buckets, bathtubs and wading pools immediately after use. If you have young children, keep the bathroom door closed, and use toilet locks to prevent access by young children. For toddlers, some of the biggest drowning risks are in the home, including tubs and toilets.
• Pools should be surrounded by a four-sided fence, with a self-closing and self-latching gate. Research shows pool fencing can reduce drowning risk by 50%. Additional barriers can include door locks, window locks, pool covers and pool alarms.
• Adults and older children should learn CPR.
• Everyone, children and adults, should wear U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets whenever they are in open water, or on watercraft.
• Parents and teens should understand how using alcohol and drugs increases the risk of drowning while swimming or boating.
We cannot “drown-proof” children. It's important to make sure there is fencing and other barriers around water to make sure children can't get into water when unsupervised. When a young or beginning swimmer is in the water, a water watcher or parent should be within arm's length. Even when a child has learned to swim, water watchers should keep them in view constantly while swimming.
• Children's health is a continuing series. This week's article is courtesy of American Academy of Pediatrics. To check out more information, visit www.aap.org.