How to protect your children so they do not drown

To help protect children in and around water, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) updated its recommendations on water safety. Drowning can be rapid and silent, which makes it an important cause of accidental death among children. This is the third leading cause of accidental death related to injuries in children and adolescents from 5 to 19 years of age. Nearly 1,000 children in the United States drowned in 2017, and 8,700 were treated in emergency departments of hospitals after a drowning event, according to the AAP. Young children and adolescents have the greatest risk.

Many of these deaths occur when children are not expected to be swimming, or when they have unforeseen access to water. Young children have a natural curiosity; That is why we must implement other strategies, such as fencing the pools and putting padlocks on the doors, "he added in an AAP press release, but young children are not the only ones at high risk, with almost 370 young people aged 10 to 19. years of age are drowned each year in the United States. "Teens can rely too much on their swimming skills, and are more likely to combine alcohol use with swimming, which significantly aggravates their risk. Children of color, particularly African-American adolescents, are especially at risk. "Denny pointed out. According to the co-author of the statement, Dr. Linda Quan, "research has found that swimming lessons are beneficial for children, starting more or less than one year of age, and could reduce drowning rates."

Quan suggested that "families can talk with the pediatrician about whether their child is ready, from a developmental point of view, for swimming lessons, and then look for a program that has experienced and well-trained instructors. they must also teach 'competition in the water', which is the ability to get out of the water if the child ends up in the water unexpectedly. " Learning to swim is a solution, but that does not mean that your child is "drowning proof", so parents should also take other prevention measures.
In houses with a swimming pool, the most important safety step is to put a fence that surrounds the entire pool and isolate it from the house, advises the AAP.

When supervising children while swimming, adults should always pay attention and avoid any distraction. When infants or young children are in or near water, an adult who knows how to swim should be at arm's length, providing constant "contact supervision".

And never leave small children alone in the bathroom, experts advise. The use of toilet closures can prevent drowning of young children. Never leave a child alone or in the care of another child while in or near a tub, pool, hot tub, or other open water

* Also, always empty water from buckets and other containers immediately after use.
* Parents and caregivers should never leave children alone or in the care of another child while in or near bathtubs, swimming pools, spas or other open water.
* Adults should empty water from buckets and other containers immediately after use.
* Do not leave small children alone in the bathroom. Bathroom locks can keep young children from drowning.
* When infants or small children are in or near water, a supervising adult with swimming skills should be at arm's length, providing constant "tactile supervision".
* Even with older children and better swimmers, the supervising adult should focus on the child and not participate in other activities that distract him or her.

Source: New York Times. (2019). How to protect your children so they do not drown. 2019, Debate Website: https://www.debate.com.mx/salud/Como-proteger-a-sus-hijos-para-que-no-se-ahoguen-20190319-0036.html