Drowning Prevention

Parents face a series of challenges. Among them is the issue of safety, most importantly water safety. Drowning is the number one cause of death in children under 5 years of age. Approximately 400 children will die in 2005; over a thousand will be left permanently brain damaged.

As any parent of a toddler knows, one minute your child is quietly coloring, but as soon as you turn your back, the child is off and running. A momentary distraction can change your life forever. Seventy- five percent of drowning victims were out of sight for less than 5 minutes. Most were being supervised by one or both parents - supervision is not enough to protect young children from the dangers of water. Swimming pools, lakes, spas, and pond are very inviting to your toddler. Layers of protection are essential. Should your active toddlers get past the first layer, supervision, another one will be in place.

Layers of protection should include:

Adult Supervision - There is no substitute for adult supervision. Designating a 'lifeguard' is one of the most effective ways to be sure that one specific person is watching the pool. Frequently drowning victim caregivers thought the other person in the vicinity was watching the child. At a large gathering, the 'lifeguard' should watch the pool not the children.

Pool Access Barrier - A four sided mesh fence is most popular and affordable. The fence should completely surround the pool and be at least four feet high.  A fence is only as good as its gate. To insure closure, a self closing self latching gate is most important.  Inspect the gate and latch frequently to be sure it is in working order. Keep toys and pool furniture away from the fence so your little one cannot climb over it.

Gate, Door and Window Alarms - All windows, doors and gates should have an alarm loud enough to be heard throughout the house. In the case of doors and gates, an adult bypass switch (out of reach of children) is a must, since false alarms compromise the safety of these devices. These alarms should be used in combination with other layers, never alone.

Pool Alarms:

Surface and Subsurface pool alarms - These alarms sense water motion. Subsurface alarms attach to the pool and will alarm if a child of a certain weight falls in. It may not alarm if the child steps in, and cannot be used while the pool is in use. You will need to remember to turn it on and off. Do not use if you have a waterfall or automatic pool cleaner as this will set off the alarm. Surface alarms float in the pool and frequently sound false alarms.

Sonar Pool Alarms - The AquaSonus is a passive-sonar pool alarm that monitors       the acoustic sounds. If your child falls into the pool and alarm will sound. It consists of two units, one mounted on the side of the pool and one in the house. It cannot be used while the pool is in use.

Perimeter Pool Alarm- The Prevent perimeter pool alarm is a laser beam that surrounds the pool. If the child tries to enter the pool, therefore crossing the beam, an alarm will sound. Mirrors at the pool corners need to be kept aligned.

Personal Immersion Alarm- The Safety Turtle alarm consists of a wristband that locks on the child's wrist with a key. A base station will sound an alarm should your child go in ANY nearby (100-200ft) body of water, -pool, spa, lake, pond, bathtub, etc. The alarm is portable so you can bring it wherever there is a water hazard and it can be used while the pool is in use.  Children enjoy wearing the bright colored turtle.

Visit the websites below so you can make an informed decision regarding your children's water safety.

www.safetyturtleofflorida.com
www.poolfence.com
www.poolguard.com
www.aquasonus.com

Author: Diane Mullins RN, mother of near drowning victim.