With the arrival of warm weather, many families are busy installing or opening pools in their backyard. According to Kids Health in the article "Water Safety," over 1,000 children die each year from drowning, most of them in swimming pools. Parents can take steps to keep children safe while they enjoy this favorite summer activity.
Supervision at a Swimming Pool
While it may be convenient to have an older child or sibling babysit a little one, when it comes to the pool the only person who should be supervising swimming is an adult. Even teenagers can become easily distracted, which can lead to devastating consequences when children are in the water.
According to Healthy Children in "Swimming Pool Safety," adults should be within an arm's reach of non-swimmers. When watching older children who are capable of swimming adults should refrain from distractions such as the phone, household chores, or talking with other people. All pool owners should take a CPR class so that they can respond to an emergency situation in the pool.
Pool Fencing and Alarms
To ensure that children are not entering a pool without an adult's knowledge all swimming pools should be surrounded by a fence. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the fence should be at least four feet high with a self-closing and self-latching gate. The space between the ground and the bottom of the fence should not exceed 4 inches.
All pools should be equipped with a pool alarm so that an alarm sounds when a child falls into or enters the pool without permission. Many municipalities now require pool alarms by law, and homeowners can check with their local law enforcement agency for specific details.
Inflatable Toys and Life Jackets
Stores provide a wide array of toys for the water, including inflatable tubes, water wings, and vests. While some of these are helpful to non-swimmers, parents need to keep their guard up and not allow these devices become a substitute for proper supervision.
Swimming Lessons
The American Academy of Pediatrics recently changed their stance on swimming lessons. Prior to 2010, they only supported swimming lessons in children over 4 years of age, They now recommend that parents in children under age 4 may consider swimming lessons depending on the child's exposure to water, as well as their physical and emotional readiness.
Household Water Hazards
Because a young child can drown in a short time in a small amount of water, parents should look around for areas of water other than the swimming pool that could pose a danger to a young child. Common dangers include:
- buckets
- bathtubs and toilets
- hot tubs
- garden ponds and fountains
- drainage ditches
- ponds
Getting wet is a great way to cool off in the hot summer months, but parents need to be vigilant to keep children safe around the swimming pool and other sources of water. Constant supervision in addition to keeping pools closed with fences and alarms will ensure a safe summer.
Sources:
AAP. Pool Safety for Children (accessed June 2, 2010).
AAP. AAP Gives Updated Advice on Drowning Prevention (accessed May 24, 2010).
Healthy Children. Swimming Pool Safety (accessed May 26, 2010).
Kids Health. Water Safety, August 2008 (accessed May 26, 2010).
Laura Wilson - Relatively new to the writing community, Laura Wilson is spending time writing about children, parenting, health, and education. She ...
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