The December holidays might be over, but summer’s still in full swing and there’s a lot of swimming to be done.
It’s a wonderful time of the year to be outside in the sunshine, with the sounds of children splashing around and laughing in the clear blue water.
And while it’s important to acknowledge that drowning occurs at all times during the year, it’s crucial at these times not let our guard down when watching our children around the pool – not even for a second.
According to a report by Safe Kids Worldwide, a global non-profit organisation working to prevent childhood injury, there are still a number of misconceptions that persist among parents with regards to water safety. This despite concerted efforts to increase knowledge and awareness.
Although this research was conducted in the United States, the findings and recommendations are relevant to any parent anywhere in the world.
Drowning continues to be a major risk for children and, according to the report, 87% of the drownings occurred in private pools and 13% in public pools.
The largest proportion of deaths occurred at the child’s home where “regulations and standards for pools are less rigorous than those for public pools.”
Sixty percent of drownings among 0-4 year-olds happened at the child’s home, while children between 5-9 years are just as likely to drown at a friend’s home as they are at home.
The report highlights the fact that there is not one main action that parents can take to prevent a child from drowning.
Rather, it is important to ensure there are “overlapping layers of protection” which can include active adult supervision, water safety education, barriers and fencing, and the importance of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training.
“Nothing is foolproof when it comes to protecting children from drowning in a pool,” says Mark Ross, a spokesman for the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). “That’s why we recommend that pool owners provide layers of protection.”
The majority of child drownings occur when children get into the pool on their own. The Centers for Disease Control found that “most young children who drowned in pools were last seen in the home, had been out of sight less than five minutes, and were in the care of one or both parents at home at the time.”
So let’s enjoy our family time at the pool this summer and make it a safe year. And remember to never let your guard down when watching over the children.