So yesterday marked the first day of Summer, and coincidentally it was also the first day we have had temperatures reach the 100's in the Valley. I would have blogged about Summer Safety or Heat Wave Tips, but I was too miserable to even type!
Yesterday, while complaining about the heat, I had mentioned bringing in a small kiddie pool and placing my chair in the center of it so that I can stay cool all summer long. The kindhearted people I work with mentioned that it may not be a good idea, because young children can drown in just a few inches of water. I took no offense to that statement as I imagine that they are simply jealous of my youth, but instead took this as inspriation for a blog topic.
So I did some research on portable swimmings and found out that these pools, especially inflatable models pose serious risks to young children.
In a study that was done, researchers found that about every five days a child drowns in a portable pool in the United States. More than 40 percent of the drownings occurred when the child was being supervised; 39 percent happened with no adult supervision; and 18 percent were blamed on a lapse of supervision. The worst part is that all of this occurred in a wading pool that was no more than 18 inches deep.
Why is this becoming a more common occurrence?
Because these pools are inexpensive and easy to assemble, many parents may not consider them as big a risk as in-ground pools. The greatest risks are for children younger than 5 years, researchers found.
So we at the Red Cross ask all parents to never underestimate the power of water and take precautions to prevent these unfortunate mishaps. An easy way to be prepared is to follow this simple saying: Lock, Look, Learn.
- LOCK: Erect fencing at least 4 feet high with a self-latching gate and keep it locked at all times unless an adult is present.
- LOOK: Parents and caregivers should watch children in or near the water at all times, and not socialize, read or sleep.
- LEARN: Adults should learn to swim themselves and provide swimming lessons to their children from an early age. They should also know how to respond to an emergency -- use rescue equipment, call 911 and perform CPR.
To register for a CPR class in your area visit us online or contact your local Red Cross Chapter at (559) 455-1000.
