• 02
  • September
    2011

A new study emphasizes the safety hazards kids face around water, even with small, above-ground portable pools. To help reduce the risk of swimming pool accidents, parents should know pool safety strategies for children.

A study published online for the medical journal Pediatrics used data compiled by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to analyze the danger posed to kids by portable, above-ground pools. The researchers found that 35 kids were injured and 209 were killed in submersion incidents in portable pools from 2001 to 2009.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 10 people die of accidental drowning in the U.S. every day, and 20 percent of those victims are children under 15 years old. In fact, drowning is the second-leading cause of death for kids under 15.

Dr. Angela Rosas, department chief of pediatrics at Sutter Memorial Hospital in California, says the best way to avoid swimming pool accidents is adult supervision. Because kids can drown in a few inches of water in less than 5 minutes, constant vigilance is required. "It's a very common scenario that parents just took their eyes off the child briefly and the child drowned," Dr. Rosas said of the drowning deaths she analyzes on the Sacramento County Child Death Review Team.

In addition to careful supervision, other drowning-prevention strategies include:

  • Using barriers like fences and doors just as with in-ground pools.
  • Keeping toys away from water and out of pools so kids don't try to reach them and fall in.
  • Enrolling kids in swimming lessons to build their skills and confidence in the water.

Following these tips and keeping a close eye on children near water - without the distraction of phones or magazines - can help everyone stay safe.