Warm weather is finally here in the Northern Hemisphere, with many pools and beaches opening in the summer. It’s great for families who want to spend time by the water, but it’s also a good time to remind them of the importance of water safety.
An estimated 4,000 fatal, unintended owner deaths occur each year in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Drunking is the main cause of death in children aged 1-4 years and the second major cause of death due to unintentional injuries in children aged 5-14 years after a car accident.
I wanted to talk more about water safety with Dr. Leana Wen, a CNN wellness expert. WEN is a paramedic physician and adjunct associate professor at George Washington University, and previously served as a health committee member for Baltimore. She is also a passionate advocate of learning to swim for children and adults, as a mother of two young children and someone who has learned to swim as an adult.
CNN: ownWho has the lowest risk of death?
Dr. Wen’s Childhood: The CDC released an important report in 2024 on the unintended drowsing death in the United States. According to the agency, mortality rates were significantly higher in 2020, 2021 and 2022 than in 2019. Furthermore, the highest percentage was seen in young children aged 1-4 years. Of the children in this age group, 461 died from own death in 2022, an increase of 28% since 2019.
The report also highlights racial disparities, highlighting the high rates of mortality among individuals identified as non-Hispanic American Indians or Alaska natives, and the high rates of drowning as non-Hispanic blacks or African Americans. Only 45% of all adults reported taking swimming lessons, and those numbers were higher for white Americans (52%) than for black (37%) and Hispanic (28%) Americans.
Racial disparities were also reported in a 2023 analysis by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which found that African-American children account for 21% of drowning for children under the age of 15, whose race and ethnicity are known. Of children aged 5-14, 45% of the deaths of owned death occurred among African Americans.
The CPSC analysis also included another important data point. This is the majority (80%) of children’s own deaths known to be set up in their residence. This means that it has 4 out of 5 children who have owned their own backyard pool or friends, neighbors, family members that have died. Of these homeown deaths, 91% occurred among children under the age of 7.
CNN: Why do so many drows occur in residential environments?
Wen: One of the main reasons is the difference in directors. Many public beaches and community pools hire lifeguards, which is to be aware of the safety of everyone underwater or nearby. People’s garden private pools often do not have someone designated for this purpose. Sometimes older children oversee younger children, but they don’t always watch them. Or adults may be supervising, but they are busy with other tasks too. Furthermore, some people who are looking at others may not know how to swim on their own.
Additionally, there may be false sense of security in the residential environment. People may think the pool is small, it’s not too deep, or there are so many people around, so what happens? However, keep in mind that little kids can drown in just a few inches of water. Serious injuries or death can occur within 30 seconds. Drunking is often silent as the victims are unable to seek help.
CNN: How can parents and guardians prevent drowsing in a residential environment?
Wen: The most important best practice is to never leave unsupervised children near waters. Even if they already know how to swim, even if they wear flotation equipment, even if the pool is shallow or small, there can be accidents. Either you or other responsible adults should be able to see your child at all times. The adults who supervise are proactive in looking at children and should not be distracted by chores and smartphones. The person should also not be under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
The person in charge must also know enough how to swim. This way you can jump into the pool and save your child if necessary. An additional safety measure is to learn CPR and first aid for babies, children and adults that can be done through the American Red Cross.
If you have a pool, be very careful before using it on others. If your neighbor’s children want to swim in your pool, a responsible adult must accompany them. All private swimming pools should have children’s fencing around them. The fencing surrounds the pool and has a self-closing latch out of reach of children, and is at least 4 feet tall. This is required by law in most states.
CNN: What safety precautions should people take around natural bodies of water?
Wen: Always wear a properly installed, US Coast Guard approved life jacket when boating. According to the CDC, of all those who owned on a boat in 2022, 85% were not wearing a life jacket.
To be safe, swim in the area where lifeguards work. Follow the Lifeguard’s guidance on safety conditions. Stay in the area designated for swimming.
CNN: How about teaching your kids how to swim? Can it help water safety?
Wen: yes. A study by Jama Pediatrics found that children aged 1-4 who participated in formal swimming lessons had an 88% lower risk of drowning. The goal here is not necessarily to teach children all the different strokes, and not to let them join the swimming team. It is about giving basic life-saving skills, such as treading on water or floating on your back.
When you are in the water with your child, remind them of the safety of water on every occasion. Other tips include not swimming alone, always seeking permission before entering the water, and not diving into an unknown body of your head. Also, young children need to be reminded not to reach for items in the pool as they risk falling. They should always seek help instead.
CNN: What about parents and guardians who don’t know how to swim? Would they recommend taking swimming lessons too?
Wen: yes. Firstly, adults who don’t know how to swim are more likely to have children who don’t know how to swim. This was the case for me. My parents didn’t swim, and I also never learned to swim.
Secondly, if adults cannot swim on their own, it is difficult to properly supervise children who swim. In fact, it was a horrifying experience with my own children that encouraged me to learn to swim. My kids were only 1 and 3 years old one summer when my older child thrusts her young into the pool.
We were in the pool of our local community, and there was a lifeguard who was quickly caught up in the action. But I remember how terrifying I was and how helpless I felt. I quickly signed up for the kids for swimming lessons. I also found an instructor to teach me. Because I realized that I must overcome my own fear of water and learn basic water safety skills to protect my children.
Learning how to swim as an adult is a humble experience, especially for people like me who had to start by overcoming their fears. I literally started from scratch. For a few weeks I worked to make it comfortable to sink my head underwater.
Ultimately, I learned how to swim and now I really enjoy being in the water. And when we are in private or in a community swimming space, I feel more comfortable overseeing my kids. A local pool has opened for the summer and we look forward to spending time with the kids.
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