A child can drown in seconds, and doctors are sounding the alarm as more U.S. children have been drowning in recent years. According to Dr. Rohit Shenoi, the lead author of a recent American Academy of Pediatrics warning, “When drowning occurs, seconds matter. Quick rescue and resuscitation can mean the difference between life, death, and lifelong disability.”
Statistics on Child Drowning
About 4,000 to 5,000 Americans drown each year, with most being adults who die in natural bodies of water. However, statistically speaking, drowning is a much larger danger to children. It’s the No. 1 cause of death for kids ages 1 to 4, and one of the top killers of children ages 5 to 14.
The drowning rate is higher for white kids in the younger group, but much higher for Black, American Indian, and Alaska Native children in the older group. Drownings of very young children sometimes happen in bathtubs, but most occur in swimming pools.
Prevention Efforts
Stew Leonard, the CEO of the Stew Leonard’s grocery chain, lost his 21-month-old son in a drowning accident in 1989. This tragedy led him to start a foundation that pays for children’s swimming lessons and promotes drowning prevention. His foundation has funded over 250,000 swimming lessons for children and opened two swimming schools.
Leonard emphasizes the importance of swimming lessons for young kids and complete focus by caregivers when young children are around water. “I mean, I love ballet. I love karate. I love tennis lessons. You know, all the activities that kids can do,” he said. “But the only thing you can do to save their life is put them in swimming lessons. Shut your cellphones off when you’re around the pool, watching the kids. Don’t sit there reading a book. Don’t sit there talking to your friends, neglecting your child that’s near the water. This happens in the blink of an eye.”
The federal government’s top public health agency, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has laid off staff from its drowning prevention program. However, new guidance and drowning prevention support continue to come from other organizations, including the CDC Foundation and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Original reporting: WPBF (Treasure Coast / Hearst) — read the source article.
