|
Childhood drowning is the leading accidental cause
of death in Florida for children less than four years old. In
2006, 68 children drowned in Florida and 139 nearly drowned.
"The problem in Florida is the large number of
pools, spas and open bodies of water," says Michele King, BS, CCLS,
Director of the Child Advocacy Program at The Children's Hospital of
Southwest Florida.
Children can drown while swimming or boating, or
when left unsupervised with access to nearby bathtubs, buckets,
pools or hot tubs.
A child can drown in as little as one inch of water,
and, contrary to popular belief, drowning is usually quick and
silent. A child will lose consciousness two minutes after
submersion, and irreversible brain damage occurs in just four to six
minutes.
 If
your home has a swimming pool, or you live near water, Michele says
several layers of protection must be in place. These layers
include locks and alarms on doors leading to water, a pool fence
with a self-closing, self-latching gate and a life preserver or
rescue hook near the water. Also, be sure not to keep toys in
the pool because children might be tempted to go in after them.
She also stresses the importance of designating an
adult to watch children who are playing in or near water. "One
person keeps two eyes on the children at all times," she explains.
"That person should not read the newspaper, perform household chores
or leave the pool area for any reason." Michele says it's
also a
good idea for parents to keep a phone nearby to call for help in an
emergency.
"Most young children who drowned in swimming pools
had been missing from sight for less than five minutes and were in
the care of one or both parents at the time of drowning," Michele
explains. "If a toddler turns up missing, and you have a pool
at home, or you are near water, always look in the water first.
You may be able to save precious seconds.
|
Child Advocacy Program Keeps Kids Safe
The Children’s Hospital of Southwest
Florida’s Child Advocacy Program has one simple mission: to
keep local children healthy and safe. In addition to
teaching parents how to keep their children safe around
water, professional staff members of the Child Advocacy
Program run programs to address issues such as bicycle
safety, car seat safety and gun safety.
The Child Advocacy Program also offers an
informative and interactive class to area students in Lee
and Collier Counties called, “Germaine the Germ Thing,”
which shows children that the simple act of washing their
hands is the best way to prevent the spread of germs and
illnesses.
Parents can benefit from the Child Advocacy
Program's parenting classes that teach new parents how to
focus on their strengths and set appropriate expectations
for their children.
For more information about how the Child
Advocacy Program can help you, call Michele King at
239-432-3842.
|
For more information about Child Advocacy,
click here.
|
