Dr. Bob: We are seriously considering getting a backyard pool, but I am worried about a possible drowning. Every year I read about children drowning in pools. What advice do you have to ensure the safest possible environment?
Answer: Thank you for that question since we are now entering the summer months and the safety of our children is so important. Recently, over 300 reported child deaths per year were due to drowning with over 6,000 non-fatal injuries per year. Having taken care of children that died from drowning and children that suffered severe injury from water immersion, I have a heightened sense of awareness of the need for water safety.
Let’s review some basics for protecting children, especially when considering getting a pool.
- Any depth of water can be lethal to a child. Bath water and shallow ends in a pool are no protection for children.
- Never take your eyes off a child in a swimming environment. Things can happen in a split second. If answering the phone, keep watching the children. If cooking, keep watching the children or make sure that another adult is watching. If getting something from the house, make sure that someone is watching.
- An adult that can swim should always be attending to a child. It doesn’t matter if it is just the shallow end.
- Do not assume that flotation devices are protective and will prevent drowning. Swimmies, blowup rings and noodles can help children but are not protective.
- Make sure any swimming pool that you have in your yard is enclosed in a fence and that the gate is child-proof.
- Make sure that any swimming pool in the neighborhood is similarly protected.
- Do not allow “rough-housing” around the pool. They can be injured by the pool deck in addition to the water.
- Alarm devices are available to detect entry into the water. This might signal when a child has wandered into the pool.
- Learn CPR. If an accident does occur, CPR might save a child before emergency responders can arrive.
- Get swimming lessons for your children. You can start early with the proper supervision. They will learn how to float, kick, stroke, and tread water. All of those are essential skills.
- When on a body of water, like a pond, river or lake, make sure that a properly fitting life preserver (personal flotation device) is on your child.
- Be very careful when in a body of water where you cannot see the bottom. Every year somebody jumps into water and injures themselves on an object.
- If water skiing or tubing or jet skiing, make sure that the personal flotation device is in place and the operator is properly trained.
- Adults in charge of children near water should refrain from drinking alcohol. This can impair their judgement and reaction time if immediate action is needed.
- Instruct your children to be careful around other people in the pool. They should be careful when swimming, when jumping off the side and when jumping off the diving board. If they accidentally run into another person, they can inadvertently cause them to lose their breath and go under.
- Learning to swim is a lifelong skill that will have tremendous benefits. You never know when you could end up in a body of water and need to survive.
All of the above items listed above are helpful tidbits for water safety. Please use common sense and always supervise your children. They deserve your protection.
Dr. Saul is Professor of Pediatrics (Emeritus) at Prisma Health and his website is www.mychildrenschildren.com. Contact Dr. Bob at askdrbobsaul@gmail.com with more questions