Sink or Swim - Water Safety for Children and Teens - A Blog Item by Dr. Ruben Rucoba
Sink or Swim - Water Safety for Children and Teens - A Blog Item by Dr. Ruben Rucoba
Despite the snow in parts of northern Illinois last week, summer is just around the corner. For children, a big part of summer is spending time at the beach or pool, either locally or on vacation. Wherever you spend your summer, make sure your children are safe in the water by following these tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics:
Never swim alone in open water. Even good swimmers need buddies.
Never swim after dark in open water.
Never leave children alone in or near the pool, hot tub or beach, even for a moment.
Whenever infants or toddlers are in or around water, an adult—preferably one who knows how to swim and perform CPR—should be within arm’s length, providing “touch supervision.”
Avoid inflatable swimming aids such as “floaties.” They are not a substitute for approved life vests and can give children and parents a false sense of security.
A lifeguard or another adult who knows about water rescue needs to be watching children whenever they are in or near the water.
Make sure your child knows never to dive into open water except when permitted by an adult who knows the depth of the water and who has checked for underwater objects.
Never let your child swim in canals or any fast moving water.
Ocean swimming should only be allowed when a lifeguard is on duty.
Teach children about rip currents. Even Lake Michigan has rip currents. If you are caught in a rip current, swim parallel to shore until you escape the current, and then swim back towards shore.
Children ages 1 to 4 years may be at a lower risk of drowning if they have had some formal swimming instruction. However, there is no evidence that swimming lessons or water survival skills courses can prevent drowning in babies younger than 1 year old. Swim programs should never be seen as “drown-proofing” a child of any age.
Although swimming lessons should never be thought to “drown-proof” anyone, it is still important to teach children to swim. This is especially true for African–American children. In a report issued last week by the Centers for Disease Control, researchers found that black children ages 5 to 19 drown in swimming pools at a rate more than five times that of white children. An earlier study found that nearly 60 percent of black children surveyed were unable to swim or felt uncomfortable in deep water, compared to 31 percent of white children.
Whatever your race, whatever the age of your children, make sure they feel comfortable in water from an early age, teach them to swim when age-appropriate, and follow the common sense rules above for a fun and safe summer.
Dr. Ruben J. Rucoba is a general pediatrician in Wheaton, Illinois. A member of the medical staff at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and Central DuPage Hospital, he is especially interested in the care of special needs children. Dr. Rucoba is also a medical writer and the father of four children.