Each day, around 10 people unintentionally drown, says Southwest Health District Health Director Dr. Jacqueline Grant, who added that total includes two children 14 years old or younger.
“Yet most of those deaths are preventable,” Grant said. “Now with many schools ending and summer plans underway involving pools, beaches, fishing and other water-related recreational activities, we are stressing water safety awareness.”
Learning the risks and taking safety precautions are proven ways to prevent drowning injuries and deaths, she said.
“Drowning ranks fifth among the leading causes of unintentional injury death in the United States and kills more toddlers 1-4 years old than anything but birth defects,” Grant said.
The National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics warn that drowning can happen quickly, and, for children, in as little as an inch of water.
“Fortunately, there are action steps to take to reduce risks,” Grant said. “Formal swimming lessons can reduce the risk of drowning by as much as 88% among children aged 1 to 4.”
However, she emphasized that adults should remain vigilant even if children have had swimming lessons.
“For newborns and children up to 4, parents and caregivers should never – even for a moment – leave them alone or in the care of another child while in or near pools, spas, or wading pools, or near irrigation ditches or other open bodies of water,” Grant said.
Adults supervising a young child should practice `touch supervision,’ remaining within an arm’s length of the child with full attention focused on the child at all times when the child is near or in the water. The supervising adult should not be engaged in distracting activities, such as talking on a telephone, socializing, or tending to household chores.
Grant also recommended learning cardiopulmonary resuscitation. “In the time it might take for lifeguards or paramedics to arrive, your CPR skills could save a life,” she explained.
Other Public Health water safety recommendations include:
· Swimming with a buddy, regardless of your age
· Fencing off access to pools, ponds or other areas that present drowning hazards
· Choose swimming sites with lifeguards whenever possible
· Avoiding drinking alcohol before or during swimming, boating, water-skiing or when supervising children engaged in recreational water activities
· Being aware of and avoiding drop-offs and hidden obstacles in natural water sites; always entering water feet first.
· Never using air-filled or foam toys such as “noodles” or inner-tubes in place of life jackets
· Never hyperventilating before swimming underwater and never trying to hold your breath for long periods of time (These activities can cause swimmers to pass out (sometimes called “shallow water blackout”) and drown.)
“Toddlers, youngsters with an intellectual disability, and children with seizure disorders are particularly vulnerable to drowning, but all youngsters are in danger if unsupervised in or near water,” Grant concluded. “Even a child who knows how to swim may drown a few feet from safety. Swimming lessons should not be considered as a way to `drown-proof’ your child.’”
For more information on water safety, go to www.cdc.gov or www.healthychildren.org
