Home Baby Safety

Did you know that most young children who drown in swimming pools were last seen in the home, had been missing from sight for less than five minutes and were in the care of one or both parents at the time of the drowning.

Did you know that…

• Drowning is usually quick and silent.
• A child will lose consciousness two minutes after submersion, with irreversible brain damage occurring within four to six minutes.
• Entrapment can occur when a child’s body, swimsuit or hair become trapped in the drain of a pool or hot tub and the suction is too powerful for them to free themselves.
• A child can drown in as little as one inch of water.
• Drowning is the second leading cause of accidental death among children ages 1 to 14.

(Statistics provided by Safe Kids Worldwide)

 10 Tips for general water safety:

• When near water an adult should be within arm’s reach of children under 5 years old at all times.
• Don’t rely on water wings or inflatable toys to keep your child safely afloat.
• When swimming in a pool keep a phone nearby in case of emergency.
• Don’t rely on bath tub rings to keep your child safe in the tub. Always stay within arm’s reach.
• Empty kiddie pools after each use.
• Whirlpools should have proper covers with locks.
• Become aware of drain entrapment dangers.
• Remember to always have your child wear a proper life jacket aboard boats.
• Remember the other places a child could drown: toilet, buckets/pails, coolers containing melted ice, wells, fish ponds, fountains.
• Know CPR.

Tips to keep your child safe if you have a pool:

• Pools should have 4-sided fencing w/ auto close and lock gate. The gate should separate the house from the pool.
• After swimming remove all toys so children aren’t tempted to reach for them. Lock the gate.
• Any door that leads outside of the home should be kept locked, including pet doors.
• Pools with only one drain should have an anti-entrapment drain cover and shut-off release system should entrapment occur.

This entry was posted on Sunday, August 23rd, 2009 at 10:26 pm and is filed under Safety Tips & Information. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.