(HealthDay News) — Once it gets hot, kids are naturally drawn to playing in and near water. But thousands of kids end up in emergency rooms each year because of near-drownings, and more than 1,000 under age 14 drown.
The American Academy of Pediatrics offers these guidelines to help keep you and your family safe at the pool:
- Never leave children unsupervised in or around a pool — particularly an inflatable pool — even for a moment.
- All pools should be surrounded by a fence at least 4 feet high without any openings that a child could squeeze through. The gate latch should be out of a child’s reach.
- Don’t rely on devices such as “floaties,” which don’t offer enough protection to keep a child from drowning.
- Provide swimming lessons for children as appropriate. Parents should be CPR-certified.
- Make sure pool drain covers are not broken or missing.
- Keep equipment — such as a rescue hook and life preservers — nearby at all times.