Drowning remains serious risk as summer season heats up
"The biggest drowning threat facing families with toddlers is ‘unexpected, unsupervised access to water’"
-- Dr. Scott Piazza
The dog days of summer are here and people are still heading to beaches and pools for fun and relief from the heat.
This is the perfect time to remind ourselves of the many risks water activities pose, particularly drowning.
Scott Piazza, DO, a family medicine physician who sees patients at Pismo Beach Pediatrics, which is part of Dignity Health’s clinic network, Pacific Central Coast Health Centers, encourages parents to be hypervigilant, especially this time of year when water activities are encouraged for both a fun time with family and friends and as part of a healthy lifestyle.
Sadly, many children will jump into the water this summer unprepared or with lack of qualified supervision, often resulting in disastrous outcomes.
“A child can drown in as little as 20 seconds,” shares Dr. Piazza. “The biggest drowning threat facing families with toddlers is unexpected, unsupervised access to water – swimming pools, hot tubs, bathtubs, natural bodies of water such as ponds, and standing water in homes. In fact, children have been known to drown in a pet's water bowl.”
Each year, about 4,000 people drown in the United States and drowning kills more children ages 1 to 4 years than any other cause of death, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Also, for children ages 5-14, drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death after motor vehicle crashes.
“The main factors for drowning risk are lack of swimming ability, lack of barriers to prevent unsupervised water access, lack of supervision while swimming, failure to wear life jackets and not knowing what drowning looks like,” states Dr. Piazza. “Barriers, such as pool fencing, can prevent young children from gaining access to the pool area without caregivers’ awareness, and a four-sided isolation fence separating the pool area from the house and yard reduces a child’s risk of drowning 83% compared to three-sided property-line fencing.”
Dr. Piazza adds, “Children should not wear arm flotation devices in lieu of safe swimming. Parents are often lulled into a false sense of security with these and children will often take on more water than those learning to swim with basic swim practices. As long as you practice water safety, pay close attention to your kids after swimming, and get them checked out if you notice any signs of trouble breathing.”
For every child under 18 who dies from drowning, another seven receive emergency department care for nonfatal drowning. More than 40% of drowning victims treated in emergency departments will require hospitalization or transfer for further care. These nonfatal drowning injuries can also cause severe brain damage that may result in long-term disabilities such as memory problems, learning disabilities, and permanent loss of basic functioning.
We encourage all parents, guardians and caretakers to know basic CPR care and wherever water is present, be vigilant and watchful, it only takes a few moments for an accident to occur.
For more information on Pacific Central Coast Health Centers, click here.
[PHOTO: Dr. Scott Piazza]