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Wendy Pomerantz, MD, MS, an emergency room physician at Cincinnati Children’s and one of the coordinators for the Comprehensive Children’s Injury Center said that it is important for parents to watch their children closely when children are around water. She said that parents must be cautious anytime there is an accessible standing body of water; ‘Children can drown in even the smallest body of water, including toilets, portable pools, decorative fountains, buckets and bath tubs.’ Although drowning rates have decreased steadily over the past 25 years, drowning continues to be the second leading cause of death for children ages one to 19.
According to U.S. News and World Report’s 2011 Best Children’s Hospitals ranking, the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center ranks third in the nation among all Honor Roll hospitals. Cincinnati Children’s is also a recipient of pediatric research grants from the National Institutes of Health, and is internationally recognized for improving child health. Doctor’s at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center offer their expert advice to ensure that children are safe when they play around water this summer.
Dr. Pomerantz along with the American Academy of Pediatrics offers the following tips on how children can stay safe while playing around water this summer.
• All parents and caregivers should be certified in CPR.
• Never leave children unattended in or near the pool.
• Enroll your child in swimming lessons.
• Keep a phone nearby the pool in case of an emergency.
• Dump the water out of an inflatable pool after each use and turn it upside down.
• Install a safety barrier and pool gates around the pool
• Teach children proper pool safety etiquette such as never run, push or jump on others around water.
To read the complete list of safety tips, see Tips To Keep Kids Safe When They Play In And Around Water.