| Childhood drowning is often referred to as the silent | | | | safety. PROTECTIONSecure your swimming |
| killer. Children often slip silently under the surface | | | | environment with multiple barriers. |
| without a sound. Unfortunately, the facts supporting | | | | |
| a need for greater water safety awareness seem to | | | | Install pool and spa covers. Motorized systems may |
| slip silently under the surface as well. As unpleasant | | | | be more expensive, however, they secure the pool |
| as the facts may be, they demonstrate the need for | | | | and spa with just the flip of a switch. A difficult and |
| a new attitude toward water safety. Parents must | | | | time-consuming cover is less likely to be secured |
| do more to protect their children. Preparation should | | | | after every swim. |
| begin prior to the arrival of your newborn baby and | | | | Install pool and spa alarms. The alarm sounds when |
| all safety measures must be in place before your | | | | anyone enters the water. |
| child begins to crawl.CHILDHOOD DROWNING FACTS | | | | Install isolation fencing with self-closing and |
| | | | self-latching gates. The fence must be at least 5 feet |
| Drowning is the second leading cause of accidental | | | | high and designed in a way that prevents direct |
| injury-related death among children ages 1 to 14. It is | | | | access from the house or yard. Four-sided isolation |
| the leading cause of accidental injury-related deaths | | | | fencing, with proper use, could prevent 50 to 90 |
| among children ages 1 to 4. | | | | percent of childhood residential swimming pool |
| Children under age 5 account for 80 percent of all | | | | drowning and near-drowning incidents. |
| home drowning incidents. They have a drowning | | | | Any door, window or gate leading to the pool and |
| death rate more than three times greater than other | | | | spa area must have a lock. The locks should be |
| age groups. | | | | located out of the reach of children. |
| Each year, approximately 300 children under age 5 | | | | Install door and window alarms. They add additional |
| drown in residential pools. More than 50 percent of | | | | protection in the event a locked door or window |
| these residential pool drownings occur in the child's | | | | leading to the pool and spa is breached. |
| home pool while roughly 35 percent occur at the | | | | Empty bathtubs, wading pools, and buckets |
| home of neighbors, friends or family. | | | | immediately after each use. Install locking devices on |
| Most children who drown were last seen in the | | | | all toilets. |
| home or away from the pool area. They were in the | | | | SUPERVISIONProper supervision is paramount. |
| care of one or both parents and were missing from | | | | |
| sight for five minutes or less. | | | | Never allow a child in or around water unsupervised. |
| Nearly 90 percent of drowning-related deaths occur | | | | This includes bathtubs and wading pools. |
| while the child is being supervised. | | | | Never allow children to swim without adult |
| Since 1980, spas and hot tubs have claimed the lives | | | | supervision. |
| of more than 230 children under age 5. | | | | Always designate a responsible adult to supervise. |
| Children can drown in a very small amount of water. | | | | Their sole responsibility is to constantly monitor the |
| Since 1984, more than 327 children have drowned in | | | | children in or near the water. |
| buckets containing water or other liquids used for | | | | Supervisors should always remain at waterside. This |
| household chores. Children between 7 months and 15 | | | | allows them to remain in constant visual contact and |
| months account for nearly 90 percent of these | | | | allows them to intervene if an emergency arises. |
| drownings. Bathtubs, wading pools, toilets, and | | | | Distractions, such as talking on the phone, reading, |
| buckets all pose a serious drowning danger. | | | | socializing or preparing food will limit the supervisor's |
| The drowning rate for male children is more than | | | | ability to effectively supervise. Constant vigilance |
| twice that of female children. Female children, | | | | must be maintained by the designated supervisor. |
| however, have a bathtub drowning rate more than | | | | EDUCATIONBe prepared. |
| two times that of male children. | | | | |
| More than 10 percent of all childhood drownings | | | | Enroll children in swimming lessons by age 8. Make |
| occur in bathtubs. Absence of adult supervision is | | | | sure the lessons are taught by a certified instructor |
| sited in the majority of these incidents. | | | | and include water survival techniques training, such as |
| Annually, approximately 4200 children under age 15 | | | | treading water and survival floating. |
| are treated in hospital emergency rooms for | | | | Parents, older siblings and caregivers should learn |
| accidental drowning-related incidents. Nearly 20 | | | | CPR. Remember, adults can drown too so learn adult |
| percent of those who survive a near-drowning | | | | CPR as well as infant and child CPR. |
| incident suffer severe, permanent brain injuries. | | | | Educate children about water safety and potential |
| | | | water dangers. |
| PREVENTING CHILDHOOD DROWNINGWhile there | | | | |
| is no single way to prevent all childhood drownings, | | | | With minimal cost and a few changes in habits, you |
| prevention in the form of protection, supervision, and | | | | can prevent drowning. We, as parents, have the |
| education can help ensure children's safety in and | | | | responsibility to take every measure necessary to |
| around water. Each facet is designed to overlap the | | | | ensure the safety of our children. |
| others and therefore adds to a higher level of overall | | | | |