The star months arrive to spend the holidays and the beaches and swimming pools become favorite destinations of many families. Unfortunately also the months come when there is a greater number of children drowning, so let's see what are the guidelines for a safe bathroom.
WHO notes that drowning causes more than 150 deaths in Spain every year, about 5,000 in Europe and 388,000 worldwide and as in so many other dangers the key may be that we do not think that it cannot happen to us. And is that overconfidence, not following the rules and lack of attention are the main risk factors.
According to police data, the main victims of drowning in swimming pools, rivers, beaches or inflatable enclosures are children, victims of carelessness and lack of prevention. On the other hand, in 2013, seven out of ten accidents occurred due to momentary dismissal of parents or caregivers, according to the Spanish Association of Primary Care Pediatrics.
Statistics say that childhood injuries triple during the summer period, drowning being the main danger. 70% of the drowned are under six years old, the age range that occupies us in Baby and more, the age range of our children. Couldn't it happen to us?
There are data indicating that only in 20 seconds can a baby drown, in 30 a child and if the brain does not receive enough oxygen, serious damage can occur in a few minutes (three or four). Loss of consciousness happens in two minutes.
Another shocking fact: although we only usually get death figures, for every child who dies drowned, four others are hospitalized. Many never recover from brain damage that occurs in immersion.
The importance of prevention campaigns
With these figures, it is not surprising that from time to time you want to act to put a brake on them, through different institutional campaigns and announcements aimed at preventing drowning.
These dates, as has been done in recent years, the National Police has launched an awareness and information campaign to reduce accidents in beaches and swimming pools, with the motto 'Your safety comes first, also in the water', which will remind us what the safety guidelines are.
In addition, change initiatives are also underway, such as the one that calls for the avoidance of infant deaths due to drowning in swimming pools, promoted by the National Association of Child Safety and addressed to the Ministry of Industry.
Its objective is to avoid absurd deaths, and to do so through a measure as simple as the obligation of fencing all public and private pools, a measure that in France has managed to reduce child deaths by drowning by 75%.
In short, these days we will find news that tells us about fatal oversights, accidents, drowning deaths. Many are avoidable. Let's see Safety tips to avoid child drowning and we wholeheartedly want this kind of news to be less.
Tips to avoid childhood drowning
The first and main advice is extreme vigilance in children. A few seconds are necessary for drowning to occur, so we must not let many pass without looking at them. The best, to bathe with them or very close to them, without allowing them to move away.
In the case of babies, do not leave them alone for a moment, not even in the bathtub, even in a few centimeters deep. The smaller, the more helpless they are. His little head does not hold, he can slip and not react because he is unable to move ...
When he grows up, talk to your child about safety regulations. If they don't know what they have to do or what is dangerous, they probably won't feel any risk. The rules on the beaches and swimming pools, the dangers of currents, drowning, throwing into the water in shallow areas, dangerous games ... It is not about scaring them but promoting their prudence, even if we are watching them at all times.
Remember that floats and sleeves have their risks, they can be defective, not adapt to the child's age, they can get punctured ... That is why surveillance prevails over any other element of "safety" that could fail. The greatest danger of these sleeves and floats is that they promote an excess of confidence.
Respect the permitted, regulated bathing areas and choose places with a lifeguard, in any case following their instructions and bathroom rules (flags, pool rules ...).
Prevents the digestion cut by preventing the temperature change from being abrupt, gradually entering the water, avoiding copious meals before bathing (or vice versa) ...
Prevents heat stroke that can cause a loss of consciousness near water (stay in the shade, sun protection, proper hydration ...).
Fence the private pools and demand that the public, community… Security doors are also necessary that a child cannot open with a simple movement. Do not leave toys around or inside the pool.
It prevents children from running in slippery areas, rocks, by the edge of the pool, bathing in areas of currents ...
When the child learns to float or swim, we must continue to monitor them and ensure that they do not trust their possibilities too much (too much confidence could also scare us). As we can see, in a few seconds they can suffer any mishap and not realize that they are not on the surface.
Inflatable pools, however shallow they are, are also dangerous: don't let your guard down. The majority of infant deaths in inflatable swimming pools are due to short lapses in supervision and others occur because children overcome barriers that are placed to keep them safe.
If you observe a dangerous situation and cannot act, ask the first responders for help, other bathers in your absence and 112 for serious cases.
In addition, we remind you how to act in the case of a child's drowning, taking it out of the water immediately.
If he is conscious and breathing, we will lay him on his side on the floor so that the water he has swallowed while coughing or vomiting comes out and thus prevents the airways from clogging again.
If the child does not breathe, basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) should be started without delay. Call emergency service 112 and do not interrupt resuscitation maneuvers for more than one minute.
We hope that with all these reminders about how to prevent childhood deaths from drowning help us spend a quieter and safer summer., to enjoy these months to the fullest in which you want to cool off, but without risks or scares.
