Lifeguard Your Child
May historically signals drowning season
Who is watching your children in the pool? More importantly, who is not watching them drown?
The month of May has been designated as National Water Safety Month because the warmer weather marks the beginning of summer and drowning season across the United States. Already this year, one child died at Cook Children's from a fatal drowning and 10 more kids have been treated for non-fatal drownings.
Drowning prevention around the pool begins with adult supervision, but there are other steps parents can take at home to help protect their children from drowning.
Use these safety techniques and layers of protection whenever children are around the pool:
Require adult Water Watchers to stay close and actively watch children in water. Water Watchers must stay off cell phones and not talk to other guests during their 15 minutes shift. If you are alone with your child, stay with your child. Get in the water with your child and be in arm's reach. Swim with U.S. Coast Guard-approved life vests. Don't use floaties filled with air. Learn to swim at any age. Learn CPR.Install a fence on all sides of a backyard pool or spa. Secure the fence with a self-latching gate. Use alarms that can be put on children's wrists. Also, install alarms in pools and on doors that lead to pools. Update pool/spa drain covers. Follow pool rules and signs. A fence with a locking gate should surround the pool. Install door alarms to alert adults when a child is entering the pool area. In large pools, it’s ideal to split up in groups and take sections of the pool. “If you are somewhere where children are in the pool, insist that an adult be on watch,” said Dana Walraven, community health outreach manager for Cook Children’s, said. “It should be done by a sober adult and that should be his or her only focus during their time watching the kids.” To read the full story go to http://www.checkupnewsroom.com/lifeguard-your-child/ or more information about this topic, visit cookchildrens.org
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