Further Reading

What can I do to keep my child safe while swimming or around the water this summer?

by Maria I. Diaz, MD, FAAP

swim safety

Hurray!! Summer is finally here!! But with all the summer fun also comes all the responsibilities that you need to have when kids are in and around the water. Do you know that nearly 1,000 kids die each year by drowning, and thousands more are hospitalized? Drowning is the second leading cause of injury-related death for children ages 1 to 14.

Here are some tips to remember about water safety:

  • Supervise your kids AT ALL TIMES around any water environment (pool, stream, lake, tub, toilet, bucket of water).
  • At least one adult should be a full-time supervisor when children are around water. It means that the adult can always see and hear the child, stays close enough to intervene in an emergency, and does not allow him/herself to be distracted by eating, reading, talking to others, playing or napping!!!!!
  • Practice “touch supervision” with children younger than 5 years. This means that the adult is within an arm’s length of the child at all times.
  • Do not use air-filled “swimming aids” as a substitute for an approved life vest. Water wings and other “toys” should not be used as personal flotation devices. These may give parents a false sense of security. Such devices could suddenly lose air, shift position, or slip out from underneath, leaving the child in a dangerous situation.
  • No one should swim alone. This includes adults. Everybody can have an unexpected medical emergency in the water, so using the buddy system means there is always someone looking out for you.
  • Make sure your home pool has a fence with a self-closing and self-latching gate. Do not keep toys in or around the pool. This may encourage children to reach and fall in.
  • Be sure to lock or remove ladders from aboveground pools.
  • Teach your kids proper pool behavior. Kids shouldn’t run or push around the pool and should never dive in areas that are not marked for diving.
  • At the lake or pond, watch out for weeds and grass that could entangle a leg or arm. Kids should wear foot protection.
  • Select a supervised area. A trained lifeguard who can help in an emergency is the best safety factor.
  • Teaching your child how to swim DOES NOT mean your child is safe in the water. Please, maintain constant supervision!