Drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury in children and can have devastating consequences. It usually results in death or the child will have permanent brain injury.

Drowning Prevention measures include fences around home pools, life jackets on boats or around open water, and counseling teens about the risks of alcohol or drugs around any body of water.

The single biggest thing that parents can do to prevent drowning is to never leave a child unattended around any body of water. This also includes pools, bathtubs, buckets, lakes, rivers, etc. Anywhere that there is water. There have even been drownings in toilets and in pet bowls.

Swim lessons are also a good way to protect your children, but they don’t make a child “drown proof.” The American Academy of Pediatrics did research and the research show that children ages 1-4 can benefit from taking swimming lessons. Swimming lessons are generally not beneficial for children under one-year-old. Swimming lessons are not a substitute for adult supervision around water. There should always be an adult present when a child or children are near or in water.

If you have any questions, please contact us at: Brighton Pediatrics or visit our website at www.brightonpeds.com.