NEWS RELEASES
Keep your kids safe from drowning

Houston (May 25, 2006) – Memorial Day weekend signals the start of summer vacations and, all too often, drownings. Texas Children’s Hospital urges all adults to keep a close eye on children around water.

“Each year some 20 children in Harris County drown. Already this year there have been at least 10 drownings in the Houston area—and at least 3 other children who will have severe and permanent impairment,” said Susan Hirtz, manager of Texas Children’s Center for Childhood Injury Prevention. “Most happen quickly and quietly in residential swimming pools or open water areas, like lakes.”

The most important precaution is to actively supervise any child in or near water. Give them your undivided attention – no talking, eating, reading, taking care of another child or other distracting activities.

“In 10 seconds a child can slip underwater. In less than two minutes under water, a child can lose consciousness. That's why, especially for toddlers, they should never be out of reach when near a pool or body of water,” Hirtz cautioned.

Drowning is the No. 1 cause of death for children 1-3 years old and the second leading cause of death for children ages 14 and under. To keep children safe, Texas Children’s Hospital and SAFE KIDS Greater Houstonrecommends these precautions:

• Put as many layers of protection between your child and a backyard pool as possible. Lock doors and windows leading to the pool. Add door alarms or self-closing/self-latching devices for outside doors. Fences at least 6 feet tall around the outer edge of the property are required of homes with pools in Houston. Pool fences, called isolation fences, should be at least 4 feet high and go all the way around the pool. Look for self-closing and self-latching gates. Also, gate alarms and pool alarms can be installed to alert you when someone is in or around the pool area. Keep rescue equipment, a phone and emergency numbers by the pool.
• Enroll kids age 4 and older in swimming lessons taught by a certified instructor – but don’t assume swimming lessons make your child “drown-proof.”
• Learn infant and child CPR. Classes are offered by the Red Cross and several EMS locations.
• Young children can drown in as little as 1 inch of water. Stay with your child when he or she is in the bathtub, even if he or she is with an older sibling. Keep toilet lids shut and use toilet locks if you have an infant or toddler in the house. Also, empty out buckets as soon as you are done with your chores. When taking a break, put the bucket where your child cannot reach it. Store empty buckets upside down.
• Have toddlers wear life jackets, not floaties or water wings. Life jackets should fit snugly. If you cannot pull the jacket up to the child’s ears, his or her nose will stay above water.
  
  “If a child is missing, always check the pool first — there’s no time to spare,” Hirtz said.

Even a near-drowning incident can have lifelong consequences. Kids who survive near drowning may have brain damage; after four to six minutes under water, the damage is usually irreversible.


Additional Resources:

• Summer Safety Center
• Drowning Prevention Tips