Swimming pools offer enjoyable recreation for babies and children but also present danger when safety measures are not taken and followed. Babies are at risk of drowning in as little as one inch of water, which makes wading pools as hazardous as larger swimming pools. Adults who are responsible for supervising children in the water should implement and follow pool safety steps and feel comfortable in the water themselves to make enjoying the pool a safer activity for babies.
Significance
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports drowning as the second leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 14 years, with children ages 1 to 4 years most often drowning in residential swimming pools. Children who are submerged can experience brain death after only two to four minutes, making pool safety and drowning prevention of key importance for babies and kids of any age.
Prevention/Solution
Pool safety for babies and all children begins with constant adult supervision. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends using the "touch" system for children under age 5 years around water, in which an adult must be within arm's reach of the child at all times. Installing a four-sided fence around permanent pools, which is at least four feet high and has a self-latching gate, offers protection for mobile infants and children against wandering into the pool area unsupervised. The use of pool covers for temporary pools can reduce the risk of a child falling into the pool, as well. However, even when a pool cover is in place, children should still not be permitted to play around the pool unsupervised because they could fall through the cover.
Safety
Infant- and toddler-sized life jackets are available, which babies can wear when in the pool with an adult. A baby should be held by an adult when in water deeper than one to two inches or have an adult sitting next to her in a wading pool if appropriate. No matter what the pool setting, a baby should never be left unsupervised while in or near the water.
Preparedness
Being prepared in the event of a pool-related accident is important so immediate care can be given to a child who has had an accident in the water. Parents and adults responsible for supervising babies and children in the pool should be trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for babies and infants. If a baby has a pool-related accident that stops her heart or ability to breathe, early CPR provides the best chance for survival. Whenever possible, CPR should be started immediately before paramedics arrive.
Warnings
Flotation devices such as inflatable arm bands and rings, tubes and rafts, are not suitable substitutions for a life jacket. A baby should not be placed on rafts or other flotation devices from which she may fall into the water or float away from an adult's reach.
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