Swimming can be a great summertime activity and is a lot of fun for kids of all ages, but it can also be very dangerous if the proper precautions are not taken.
Important guidelines to remember include;
Children need to learn to swim at an early age, but remember that even advanced skills cannot eliminate the potential risk of drowning.
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Parents must always closely supervise their children around water and should be in the water with small children and never further than arm’s length away.
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Parents should know CPR.
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Pools should be fenced in on all 4 sides.
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Know that large inflatable pools may not have the same building code requirements for fencing and they can pose a large drowning risk.
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Never leave a small child alone or in the care of another small child while in the water.
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Make sure buckets, pools, barrels, etc… are emptied when not in use as the can pose as a drowning risk.
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Use life jackets instead of air filled swimming aids as these aids can deflate.
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Always have young children wear a lifejacket when they are at water’s edge of a lake, stream, pond, pool, etc…
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Know the depth of water and under water hazards before allowing children to jump in. Jump feet first and never dive.
By Luke Tremble, MD, pediatrician, ThedaCare Physicians Pediatrics – Appleton.
