Tips To Keep Kids Safe When They Play In And Around Water

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Doctors at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center want to make sure children are safe this summer when they are playing in or around water.

Parents need to watch their children closely when they are around water, according to Wendy Pomerantz, MD, an emergency department physician at Cincinnati Children’s and one of the coordinators for the Comprehensive Children’s Injury Center.

“Children can drown in even the smallest body of water, including toilets, decorative fountains, buckets and bath tubs,” she said. “Any time you have a standing body of water that is accessible, make sure you supervise your child at all times.”

Drowning rates have fallen steadily over the past 25 years, but drowning continues to be the second leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 19.

Dr. Pomerantz and the American Academy of Pediatrics give the following tips on how children can stay safe while playing around water.

• All caregivers should learn CPR.
• Never leave a toy in or around a pool.
• Never leave children alone in or near the pool. An adult should be within arm’s length, providing “touch supervision.”
• Swimming lessons are recommended for children ages 1-4 years. New studies suggest that these children may be less likely to drown if they have had swimming lessons. Teaching your child how to swim DOES NOT guarantee your child is safe in water.
• Make sure there is a telephone by the pool in case of an emergency.
• If you use an inflatable or plastic pool, make sure you dump the water out of the pool after each use and turn the pool upside down when finished.
• Install a fence at least four-feet high around all four sides of the pool. Four-sided fences can cut the drowning risk in half. Pool covers and pool alarms are not a substitute for fencing.
• Make sure pool gates self-close and self-latch at a height small children can't reach.
• Keep rescue equipment nearby, including a shepherd's hook (a long pole with a hook on the end) and a life preserver.
• Avoid inflatable swimming aids such as “floaties.” They are not a substitute for approved life vests and can give children a false sense of security.
• Teach children to never run, push or jump on others around water.
• Teach children never to swim alone.
• Counsel teenagers about the increased risk of drowning when alcohol is involved.

About Cincinnati Children's

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center is one of just eight children’s hospitals named to the Honor Roll in U.S. News and World Report’s 2010-11 Best Children’s Hospitals. It is ranked #1 for digestive disorders and highly ranked for its expertise in pulmonology, cancer, neonatology, heart and heart surgery, neurology and neurosurgery, diabetes and endocrinology, orthopedics, kidney disorders and urology. Cincinnati Children’s is one of the top two recipients of pediatric research grants from the National Institutes of Health. It is internationally recognized for quality and transformation work by Leapfrog, The Joint Commission, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and by hospitals and health organizations it works with globally. Additional information can be found at www.cincinnatichildrens.org