Drownings in Home Pools, Hot Tubs Kill Hundreds of Kids Each Year

By Robert Preidt HealthDay Reporter

HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, June 10, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Hundreds of U.S. kids die in pool and sizzling tub drownings annually, and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is urging dad and mom to redouble security efforts this summer time.

That’s as a result of many kids have been away from the water through the previous two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Child drowning charges and nonfatal drowning accidents amongst kids underneath 15 years previous stay excessive, and water security vigilance is as essential as ever this summer time for folks and caregivers,” stated Alex Hoehn-Saric, chairman of the CPSC.

Whether a baby is taking part in in a neighborhood pool, a neighbor’s pool or the household’s personal, the fee is urging dad and mom and caregivers to organize by reviewing pool security suggestions and signing up for swimming classes.

“Working collectively, we will help scale back pool- and spa-related fatalities,” Hoehn-Saric stated in a CPSC information launch.

On common, 389 pool- or sizzling tub-related drowning deaths involving children underneath 15 have been reported annually from 2017 to 2019, in response to an annual CPSC report launched June 9.

Nonfatal pool- or hot-tub-related accidents in the identical age group rose from 5,800 in 2020 to six,800 in 2022, a 17% spike.

And 73% of reported deadly drownings concerned kids underneath age 5.

On common, children underneath 5 represented 80% of kids handled in U.S. emergency departments for pool- or sizzling tub-related nonfatal accidents.

Where info was out there, 73% of these incidents occurred at a house. Two-thirds of deadly pool or spa drownings occurred at a house.

Drowning is the main reason for unintentional demise amongst 1- to 4-year-olds, in response to the CPSC.

The fee provided some suggestions to assist dad and mom and caregivers maintain children protected:

• Never depart a baby unattended in or close to water, together with bathtubs, buckets, ornamental ponds and fountains. Always designate an grownup water watcher. This particular person shouldn’t be studying, texting, utilizing a cellphone or be in any other case distracted.
• If you personal a pool or sizzling tub, have a sequence of boundaries to maintain unsupervised people maintain from attending to the water. This consists of measures corresponding to door alarms, pool covers, and self-closing, self-latching gadgets on fence gates and doorways that entry swimming pools.
• Learn find out how to carry out CPR on kids and adults. Many communities provide on-line CPR coaching.
• Learn to swim and ensure your youngster learns as properly.
• Keep children away from pool drains, pipes and different openings to keep away from entrapments.
• Ensure that any pool and sizzling tub your youngster makes use of has drain covers that adjust to U.S. federal security requirements. Your pool service supplier can advise you about safer drain covers.

Continued

More info

There’s extra on water security on the American Red Cross.

SOURCE: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, information launch, June 9, 2022

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