This week Bobbi Conner talks with Dr. Alexus Gonzales about drowning prevention tips to keep young children safe around water. Dr. Gonzalez is a pediatrician and pediatric resident at MUSC Children’s Health.
TRANSCRIPT:
Conner: I'm Bobbi Conner for South Carolina Public Radio with Health Focus here at the radio studio for the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. Drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 4 in the United States. Doctor Alexus Gonzalez is here to talk about drowning prevention in young children. Doctor Gonzalez is a pediatrician and a pediatric resident at MUSC Children's Health. Doctor Gonzalez, tell us about the primary drowning risk for toddlers ages 1 to 4, and what can be done to keep toddlers safe in this scenario.
Dr. Gonzalez: The primary drowning risk for toddlers ages 1 to 4 is often unanticipated, unsupervised, access to water. This most often occurs in backyard swimming pools. Luckily, there's great evidence to suggest that four-sided pool fencing is one way to reduce the risk of drowning by nearly 50%. There are some additional methods of drowning prevention, such as pool alarms or door alarms, that can also be used as adjunct methods to prevent drowning. Although not backed by evidence, they are great resources in addition to pool fencing.
Conner: What other tips are important regarding young children in pools, especially related to supervision?
Dr. Gonzalez: You want to make sure that if you're outside in the backyard with your family, that someone is assigned as what the American Academy of Pediatrics would refer to as a water watcher. So, this is someone who is limited from all other distractions. So, their phone is put down. They are not, you know, having other conversations. They are the primary person that is watching the child while they are in the water. And additional factors that you can consider is touch supervision. So, if you're in the pool with your child, making sure that you're within arm's reach of them, whether they are around water or in the water themselves, so that you can act immediately if there is any issue.
Conner: And what about the importance of water safety skills, especially for these young children in this toddler age and older?
Dr. Gonzalez: The American Academy of Pediatrics also recommends swim lessons. You can start at age one if they're meeting appropriate milestones and if their physical and cognitive abilities allow for that. But definitely by age four, you want to get kids in the water, to learn some of these basic water survival skills.
Conner: Doctor Gonzalez, what added safety tips are important when kids are around natural bodies of water?
Dr. Gonzalez: When you're considering natural bodies of water like beaches or oceans or lakes, which are obviously very prevalent in South Carolina, you want to make sure that young kids are wearing US Coast Guard approved life jackets. These are also evidence based methods to prevent drowning. And you also want to consider the adults in the situation. You want to make sure you're modeling good behavior. So, if the adults are wearing life jackets then that models to the children that that is the appropriate thing to be doing. And, that is the safest thing for them to be doing. It's also important to remember that the floaties or the arm bands, or the air-filled swimming devices are not considered safe or effective against drowning.
Conner: And briefly tell us about drowning prevention strategies for really young children under one year of age.
Dr. Gonzalez: Well, it's important to remember that drowning can occur in as little as an inch or two of water. And so often in infants under one year of age, this is occurring in the home in the bathtub. And so again, constant supervision, making sure you're not leaving your infant unattended. And you just want to be mindful of other sources of water around the home.
Conner: Doctor Gonzalez, thanks for this information about drowning prevention for young children.
Dr. Gonzalez: You're welcome.
Conner: From the radio studio for the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, I'm Bobbi Conner for South Carolina Public Radio.
Health Focus transcripts are intended to accurately represent the original audio version of the program; however, some discrepancies or inaccuracies may exist. The audio format serves as the official record of Health Focus programming.
