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Drowning Accidents May Be More Common Than You Know: Learn How to Keep Your Child Safe Around Swimming Pools

It is important as a parent that you never leave your child unsupervised near a pool – even for a minute. We know that if your child is a strong swimmer it may seem fine to turn your back to take a call or run into the house to grab a drink. It is not. Keep reading to find out how common drowning accidents are and how you can keep your child safe around swimming pools.

The Key is to Not Leave Your Child Unsupervised in or Near a Pool

The simplest thing you can do is to make sure that you do not leave your child near a pool or other body of water. Many parents assume that the idea is not to leave them unsupervised if they are in the water but if they are simply lounging nearby, parents may think it is safe. It is not. Your child may decide to take a dip. They may be playing a game with friends around the pool, slip, and fall in. Your child should never, ever be left unsupervised by any body of water.

Understanding How Serious the Situation Is

We believe that too many parents do not pay as much attention as they should because they do not realize how common drowning accidents are or how often they become fatal accidents. The truth is that, according to the CDC, the only issue that causes more deaths for children between one and four years old are birth defects. Each year as many as 900 children drown in this country – and most of those deaths occur in home swimming pools.

More Statistics on Drowning Accidents Involving Children

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has shared some distributing facts about drowning accidents and children. For example, nearly three out of every four emergency room visits for nonfatal drowning injuries involved kids younger than five years old.

They also found that boys under the age of 15 were twice as likely to die in a drowning accident than girls, that around 6,400 children are treated in emergency rooms each year for nonfatal drowning injuries. Finally, they found that 74% of fatal drowning accidents occurred on residential property and at least 45% of nonfatal drowning accidents involved children under the age of 15.

How to Protect Children on Your Property

If you have a swimming pool at your home, make sure there is secure barrier completely around the pool, that the barrier is tall enough to keep a young child from climbing over it, cover and alarm your pool when you are not around, make sure babysitters do not take children in the pool, and do not leave children alone around your pool – and make sure guests know they are not allowed to do so either.