For Parents: Water Safety
Keep your child safe near all water. This includes oceans, lakes, rivers, pools, and hot tubs. Even if it’s just a sink, a toilet, or a bucket, the risk is still real. A child can drown in as little as an inch of water. Follow these tips to keep your child safe.
Teach Water Safety
Your child needs to know about water safety. Take the time to discuss the following:
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Never run around the pool area.
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Dive only when and where it’s posted. Never dive into the water if the rules forbid it or if the water is shallow.
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Don’t rely on inflatable toys to keep you safely afloat. An adult should always watch you swim.
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Listen to the adults in charge. Always follow the rules when you’re in a pool, on a boat, or around water of any kind.
Create a Safe Pool Area
Even a child who has had swimming lessons needs supervision near a pool. And when the pool area isn’t in use, keep it fenced, locked, and off-limits.
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Avoid Hazards
Keep a lookout for the following:
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Sinks, washbasins, and bathtubs. Always watch your child at bath time. Keep electrical appliances, such as hair dryers, away from water.
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Toilets. Toddlers are curious, and can easily fall into a toilet. Keep the bathroom door closed and latch the toilet seat when not in use.
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Buckets and spilled water. Empty dishpans and buckets when not in use. Drain or mop up spilled water to prevent slips.
Publication Source:
Brenner RA, Pediatrics, 112(2), Prevention of drowning in infants, children, and adolescents, Aug 2003, pp 440-5
Publication Source:
Schnake EM, Peterson NM, Corden TE, Wisconsin Medical Journal, 104(2), Promoting childhood water safety: the physician's role, Feb 2005, pp 45-9
Publication Source:
Vissing, YM, How to Keep Your Children Safe, Chapter 7 - Recreational Safety, 2006, pp 99-101
Online Source:
American Red Cross
http://www.redcross.org/services/hss/tips/healthtips/safetywater.html
Online Medical Reviewer:
Lesperance, Leann MD
Date Last Reviewed:
11/5/2005
Date Last Modified:
7/9/2002