By Tom Latek
Kentucky Today
Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of summer activities, and the U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says keeping children safe in and around water allows everyone to enjoy summer water activities.
Drowning is the leading cause of death for children 1 to 4 years old, according to the CDC, and the second leading cause of unintentional injury death for children 5 to 14 years old. Drowning can happen in seconds and is often silent. It can happen to anyone, any time there is access to water. This includes pools and lakes, as well as smaller water bodies like bathtubs and water-filled buckets.
Swimming lessons can reduce the risk of drowning, but over half of U.S. adults have never taken a swimming lesson. Consider enrolling children in swimming lessons. At the same time, consider swim lessons for yourself to improve your swimming skills and comfort in the water. It’s never too late to learn to swim and the benefits increase with age.
Keep in mind that children who have had swimming lessons still need close and constant supervision when in or around water, even when a lifeguard is present. An adult should always be within an arm’s length from a child who is in or near water. When supervising children, a responsible adult should avoid distracting activities like reading, using the phone and consuming alcohol or drugs because drowning happens quickly and quietly.
Even non-fatal drowning can result in long-term health problems and costly hospital stays. Drowning injuries can cause brain damage and other serious outcomes, including long-term disability. For every child under age 18 who dies from drowning, another seven receive emergency department care for non-fatal drowning. Nearly 40 percent of drownings treated in emergency departments require a hospital stay or transfer for further care. This is three times higher than the number of other unintentional injuries that require follow-up care.
Go to the CDC’s drowning prevention webpage to learn more and check out the new CDC Vital Signs report on drowning prevention.