• Knowledgebase: Child Safety, Injury Prevention and Treatment

    Questions about child safety and injury prevention, as well as treatment for minor injuries.

    17. Water Safety - Top

    Water is fun, but it deserves respect from both children and adults. The following water safety rules can help you keep your family safe and healthy during the summer months and throughout the year:

    Make certain children are supervised by adults at all times while in or near water. It is best if parents are in the water with a child.
    Alcohol and water do not mix. Never swim or go boating when you have been drinking alcoholic beverages. Remember, your life and the lives of your family members depend on it. Often, children drown in the presence of adults who have been drinking.
    Children are normally ready for swimming lessons when they are 3 or 4 years of age. The right age for lessons will vary from one child to another.
    Children should stay in the part of the pool or lake that is safe for their swimming ability.
    Allow only one person at a time on a diving board. A child should not dive head first into a pool or unknown waters.
    Never allow running or pushing in pool areas.
    Never allow children to play or swim in rivers or other unknown waters. There may be dangerous currents, rocks, or unknown depths. River currents can cause drowning even among the strongest of swimmers. Polluted water may be a health hazard.
    Enclose backyard pools with at least 6-foot-high fencing. The gate should be self-closing and self-locking. The fence and gate should be of a material a child cannot climb. The pool should not be open to a door or window.
    Use a safety float line to separate shallow water from deeper water. Mark pool depths clearly.
    Empty wading pools after each use. Never allow children to run or jump in wading pools.
    Only designated swimming areas of a lake should be used.
    Children and adults should wear approved personal flotation devices when in a boat. Small children also should wear flotation devices while playing near water or on piers.
    Inflatable pool toys should never be used to keep a child afloat.
    Children should use the buddy system when swimming, regardless of their age or ability. This places an experienced swimmer at the side of the child while in the water.
    Families, especially those with backyard pools, should know how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Classes are offered by many pediatric hospitals including Children's Hospital and the American Red Cross.
    Be aware of water hazards in the winter. Never go on a pond, lake or river unless you are certain it is solidly frozen. Do not allow your children to play on ponds, lakes or other bodies of water during the winter months. Many drownings occur in winter months , when adults or children fall through the ice.
    Protect children from hot tubs, as well. Always supervise children near hot tubs. Young children also may faint when in hot tubs because a greater body surface is exposed to the heat.
    - Updated: June 11, 2001

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    • James L Horwitz, MD

    David C. Thomas, MD

    Barbara Lindberg, PNP