What can we do to reduce the risk of drowning in pools? It is essential to ensure children are under adult supervision at all times when they are near a pool. While supervising children in the water, you should never: Drink alcohol; Go in the water in a boat; Engage in any water activities. Parents should... Learn to swim (if they do not already know) and teach their children to swim; Be aware that children under the age of 4 are not capable of learning to swim safely; Note that water activity programmes for infants and children have not been proven to reduce the risk of drowning; Always check the depth of the water before diving - one of the most common swimming pool accidents is trauma injury caused by diving or jumping into shallow water. Parents should never... Think their child is safe in water or is not at risk of drowning merely because they have taken part in aquatic programmes for infants and children; Rely on armbands or other inflatable devices that help the child float, as they can easily empty. Use lifejackets when necessary; Allow a child to be unattended near any receptacle containing water (including the bath at home and buckets containing water). It may sound bizarre, but a small child can drown in just a few cubic centimetres of water! Do you have a pool at home? Avoid accidents! If you have a pool at your home, bear the following in mind: Install a protective fence with automatic self-closing gates around the pool. This fence should be at least 120 cm high and should completely separate the swimming pool from the house, the play area and the garden; Keep a phone near the pool. Learn the local emergency number. Remember that the national emergency number is 112; Remove toys from the pool immediately after use. Buoys, balls, boats and other toys can be a temptation for the child, who may try to pick them up and end up falling into the water; Learn how to perform cardiorespiratory resuscitation techniques. It is important to remember... Drowning often happens when a child is left alone , even for just a moment. Contrary to what one might think, a child rarely makes any noise once they are in the water, and drowning happens in silence. Alarms that can detect children falling into the water can be fitted, but it is advisable to keep the other safety checks in place. Author : Jorge Marcelino Meet the Pediatrics team of Hospital da Luz network The content published in the Health Guide is intended for the general public and is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It does not replace individual medical assessment, diagnosis, or personalized clinical advice from a qualified healthcare professional. The content is produced or reviewed by physicians and other healthcare professionals at Hospital da Luz and is based on the knowledge available at the time of publication or the most recent update, as indicated at the beginning of each item.
