How can I help prevent my child from drowning?
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Dr. Mehmet Oz answered:You cannot be too vigilant around pools, lakes, oceans, and bathtubs. If you have a pool, make sure that it's surrounded by sturdy, unclimbable fencing and that your child cannot release the latch on the gate. (Be on the alert: Other people's pools may not be as securely enclosed.) Never leave a young child in the tub or around any water without adult supervision, and never run to answer the phone while a child is in the tub, not even if a sibling is watching. A child can drown in just two inches of water, so buckets and toilets are also hazards. If you forgot the towel during bath time, it's better to get your child out, get all wet yourself, and hustle to get your child warm. We'd rather your child get a few goose bumps and you have to do an extra load of laundry than the alternative. And always use smart sense around water: that means life vests in boats and never taking your eyes off a child who is swimming, even if he has a floatie or water wings. If you do find a child in water, immediately call the emergency hotline and turn him on his side. Vigorously rub or pat his back to help him cough out any water and clear his lungs.
Find out more about this book: YOU: Raising Your Child: The Owner's Manual from First Breath to First Grad...
You cannot be too vigilant around pools, lakes, oceans, and bathtubs. If you have a pool, make sure that it's surrounded by sturdy, unclimbable fencing and that your child cannot release the latch on the gate. (Be on the alert: Other... More -
Here are some tips to prevent drowning:
- Learn to swim -- important for parents and kids.
- Use a four-sided fence with self-closing and self-latching gates around pool.
- Watch kids closely when they swim.
Here are some tips to prevent drowning: Learn to swim -- important for parents and kids. Use a four-sided fence with self-closing and self-latching gates around pool. Watch kids closely when they swim. The presence of the CDC logo and CDC... More -
Prevention is very important to reduce the chances of a child drowning. The best way to help prevent your child from drowning is to ensure monitoring at all times. This means always keeping your child in view, at all times, especially if no lifeguard is present. Other things to do that have less guarantee and can be age-dependent are safety gates, pool covers, and swimming lessons. If you want to prevent your child from drowning in a natural body of water as opposed to a pool, life preservers are useful but, again, are no substitute for proper supervision.Prevention is very important to reduce the chances of a child drowning. The best way to help prevent your child from drowning is to ensure monitoring at all times. This means always keeping your child in view, at all times, especially if no... More -
Dr. Tanya Remer Altmann answered:There is evidence that children age 1 to 4 may be less likely to drown if they have had formal swimming instruction. So depending on your child’s interest, ability to follow instruction, and if you have a pool or are around water often look for swim lessons that are appropriate for your child. Remember that just because your child has had some swim training does not mean she is water safe. I often hear patients say that they taught their toddler to swim so they could relax at the lake or grandma’s house. But you can’t relax when your children are near water.
In addition to swim lessons, all swimming pools should be surrounded by a 4-sided pool fence (this alone cuts drowning risk in half), with a self-closing, self-latching gate. While pool covers and alarms can add additional layers of protection, they are not a substitute for a pool fence.
When children are in or near water, they must be constantly supervised by an adult who knows how to swim, perform a rescue, initiate CPR and call for help. If you are watching a child in or near the water, make sure your eyes and attention are constantly on the child. In the time it takes to turn to answer the phone, a child can quietly and quickly slip underwater.
For young children, use “touch supervision” which means an adult is always within arm’s reach.
There is evidence that children age 1 to 4 may be less likely to drown if they have had formal swimming instruction. So depending on your child’s interest, ability to follow instruction, and if you have a pool or are around water often look... More
