Jun 10, 2025 /
Safety & Prevention
By Lela Heza, DO / Cottonwood
Water Safety
As pediatricians, we feel very strongly about water safety. Did you know that after birth defects, drowning is the number one cause of death for children aged 1-4 and a top cause of death amongst teenagers? Each year, about 500 children under the age of 5 and 370 children between the ages of 10 and 19 drown. Therefore, it is important to familiarize yourself with the ways in which you can keep your children safe around water.
Water Safety Tips
- Identify a “water watcher” when children are swimming. This is an adult who is assigned to pay undivided attention to the children in the water. This means putting away cell phones, avoiding other activities such as cooking dinner, supervising even in the presence of a lifeguard and switching off with another adult for breaks. Stay within an arm’s reach of your baby when they are in the water. The “water watcher” should be encouraged to learn CPR.
- If you have an in-ground or above-ground pool in your home, it is important to keep your children safe during non-swim times. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that pools are enclosed with a fence that is at least 4 feet tall. The fence should be self-locking and non-climbable. Simply removing the ladder is not enough to prevent your child from accessing the pool. If you have an inflatable or portable pool, it is recommended to it after every use unless it is fenced. Children can drown in just 1-2 inches of water, and it can happen quickly and quietly.
- Drowning prevention is a family affair. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends swim lessons for parents and children. Most children are ready for swim lessons by age four.
- Take extra steps to make sure your teenager is safe around water. This is achieved through learning how to swim from a qualified instructor, identifying safe places to swim, learning to recognize rip currents, never swimming under the influence of alcohol and never swimming alone. Teenagers should be encouraged to learn CPR and always wear a life vest with water sports.
- Children should always wear life jackets when on boats and around water. Use life jackets that are approved by the US Coast Guard as indicated by a label that says so. Teach your child how to put on their own life jacket. Make sure that the life jacket is the correct size – not too big and not too small. Blow up water-wings should never be used. Puddle jumpers may be approved by the US Coast Guard, so look for a label before using. Remember: life jackets should not replace the “water watcher.”
Spending time with your children in and around water is a great way to stay cool during the hot summer months. Remember, drowning is a preventable cause of death in children and teenagers. Familiarizing yourself safety measures like fences, swim lessons, attentive watching and life jackets will help keep your children and teenagers safe. Feel free to ask your pediatrician for more information about drowning prevention at your next well child check!
References:
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-play/Pages/life-jackets-and-life-preservers.aspx
https://www.aap.org/en/news-room/campaigns-and-toolkits/drowning-prevention/
