HSHS Holy Family Hospital issued the following announcement on June 5.
As the weather heats up and more children and families head to pools and beaches, HSHS Holy Family Hospital always wants to remind parents and caregivers to keep an eye on their kids and actively supervise them when they are in and around water.
Although many community pools are opting to remained closed this summer for safety reasons, children are still at a high risk for drowning, even in less crowded backyard pools. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, among children ages 1 to 4, most drownings occur in home swimming pools. Among those 1 to 14, fatal drowning remains the second-leading cause of unintentional injury-related death behind motor vehicle crashes.
“Following a few basic steps can ensure your children are safe when swimming this summer,” said Dr. Jamie Baum, emergency medicine physician at HSHS Holy Family Hospital. “Keeping a close eye on your children while swimming at all times is the first step in ensuring safety. Drowning is often seen, not heard because a child cannot cry or shout when struggling in the water.”
Studies show that although 90% of parents say they supervise their children while swimming, many acknowledge that they engage in other distracting activities at the same time such as talking, eating, reading or taking care of another child. Even a near-drowning incident can have lifelong consequences. Kids who survive a near-drowning may have brain damage, and after four to six minutes under water the damage is usually irreversible.
The hospital recommends the following five tips to keep kids safe in and around water:
Give kids your undivided attention. Actively supervise children in and around water, without distraction.
Use the “water watcher” strategy. When there are several adults present and children are swimming, designate an adult as the “water watcher” for a certain amount of time (such as 15-minute periods) to prevent lapses in supervision.
Teach kids not to swim alone – buddy up. Whether you’re swimming in a backyard pool or in a lake, teach children to swim with an adult. Older, more experienced swimmers should still swim with a partner every time. From the first time your kids swim, teach children to never go near or in water without an adult present.
Use proper floatation devices. Inflatable toys, rafts, air mattresses and water wings should never be used as lifesaving devices for children.
Learn CPR. We know you have a million things to do but learning CPR should be on the top of the list. It will give you tremendous peace of mind – and the more peace of mind you have as a parent, the better.
Be extra careful around pool drains. Educate your children about the dangers of drain entanglement and entrapment and teach them to never play or swim near drains or suction outlets.
To learn more about a Hands Only CPR Training option offered by Prairie Heart Institute, visit prairieheart.org/cpr.
Original source can be found here.
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