WORDS: Petra Vybiralova, Safe Kids Supervisor Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital
While families’ routines may still be disrupted due to the pandemic, we have to take into consideration that the weather is warming up, and water safety practices in and outside of the home should be refreshed and revisited.
In Florida, water poses one of the highest risks as the state leads the nation in the number of drownings. Many happen at home, residential pools, but also other bodies of water.
In this article, we are going to write and learn about some TRUE AND FALSE statements about water safety!
My Child Would Never Walk Out of the House
FALSE: Children between the ages one to four are at the highest risk for unintentional drowning. This trend is not specific to Florida. Drowning is the leading cause of death by unintentional injury for ages one to four nationally. It is because they move fast and sometimes undetected. We have to ask ourselves the question: How do I know my child can open the door?
Any parent will know that the child can open the door when the child opens the door. This can be an exciting time for the family; however, if no adult is in the room, the child may exit without knowing the dangers that are outside. One of these dangers is direct access to water. In Florida, water is everywhere, and therefore children can easily reach a body of water. It can be a pool, canal, or pond.
All too often, we hear stories when one parent thought the child was the other in another room or napping, but the child fell into the pool.
I Would Know if My Child Was Drowning Because I Could Hear It!
FALSE: Drowning is silent. While drowning is happening, the child may go underwater, and when he or she comes up, the child may only have a second to take a breath before sinking back underwater. This is contrary to the popular images from movies, in which the victim of drowning screams or cries.
Drowning is Preventable
TRUE: Safe Kids Florida Suncoast recommends protecting your children by applying layers of protection. First, have a clear view of the pool from the inside of the home. But most importantly, create barriers for the child to exit the home and reach the water. High-up locks, childproofing for doors, and door alarms that are turned on might be the best way for a parent to know that someone opened the door and plans to exit. It is not necessary to have a home security alarm; families can get relatively low-cost alarms that attach to the door at online retailers.
All residential pools should be surrounded by a fence with self-closing, self-latching gates. It is also recommended to keep the furniture away from the fence, so children can’t easily climb over the fence. If you hear the child pushing the furniture, it may alarm you that they are moving outside. It may also buy you some time to prevent them from getting in the water. Remove all toys and floating objects from the pool so it is less tempting to a child.
Do not forget about pet doors, which can provide an exit point for a child. Children can be curious and try new things when they are at home.
Other bodies of water around the home, such as lakes, neighbors’ pools, and canals, may pose additional dangers. That’s why it’s important to keep children inside of your home and know if they are exiting – even unintentionally. If you do not have children at home, make sure children in your neighborhood cannot access your pool – for example – lock your pool cage, install an alarm on the yard fence, just in case a child wanders out of their home and finds their way to your pool.
Kids Can’t Drown Inside of the House
FALSE: Bathtubs and other bodies of water can pose a risk to children under the age of one. Do not leave children unattended, not even for a minute, while they are in the tub. Often, this is surprising to parents, but children can drown in unexpected places. A few things to think about – keep your toilet seat closed and locked. Any buckets and pet bowls should be emptied to eliminate any risks. Children can drown in a very little amount of water.
I Can Take Some Steps to Help My Child to be Safe in Water
TRUE: While swimming lessons may not be widely available in your area, it is important to teach children the following five survival skills recommended by Safe Kids Worldwide:
- Step or jump into water over your head and return to the surface.
- Float and tread water for one minute.
- Turn around in a full circle and find an exit from the water.
- Swim 25 yards to the exit
- Exit from the water. In the pool, be able to exit without the ladder.
I Can Learn Skills That Can Help in an Emergency
TRUE: CPR is an important piece for any parent for many reasons. Even though we are in the time of social distancing, families can use the following links to learn Hands-Only CPR from the American Heart Association https://international.heart.org/en/hands-only-cpr or the American RedCross https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/hands-only-cpr.html
In an emergency – call 911, before starting CPR.
