Health Tip: Set Rules for Swimming

Protect kids in the water

(HealthDay News) -- Once it gets hot, kids are naturally drawn to playing in and near water. But thousands of kids end up in emergency rooms each year because of near-drownings, and more than 1,000 under age 14 drown.

The American Academy of Pediatrics offers these guidelines to help keep you and your family safe at the pool:

  • Never leave children unsupervised in or around a pool -- particularly an inflatable pool -- even for a moment.
  • All pools should be surrounded by a fence at least 4 feet high without any openings that a child could squeeze through. The gate latch should be out of a child's reach.
  • Don't rely on devices such as "floaties," which don't offer enough protection to keep a child from drowning.
  • Provide swimming lessons for children as appropriate. Parents should be CPR-certified.
  • Make sure pool drain covers are not broken or missing.
  • Keep equipment -- such as a rescue hook and life preservers -- nearby at all times.
Diana Kohnle

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