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| |    Water Safety Overview by Laura Jana, M.D., F.A.A.P. reviewed by Kathryn Clark, M.D., F.A.A.P. Why is water safety such an important topic for parents? The answer is clear: Not only is water a part of our everyday parenting lives when it comes to food, fun, and hygiene, but it also has the potential to cause serious injuries. Whether your child is 14 days old or 14 years old, here are some basic concepts you should be aware of when it comes to water safety. Danger is all around Drownings and hot-water burns are the major hazards that threaten your child's safety. When it comes to protecting your infant or young child, know that your home houses many potential water dangers. Some, such as bathtubs and boiling water, are more obvious than others, such as the potential for a young child to drown in a toilet or a 5-gallon bucket. As you look beyond the four walls of your home, swimming pools in particular pose a great drowning risk to unsupervised children. Well over half of children under the age of four who drown do so in residential swimming pools. And lakes, swimming pools, and other recreational activities that involve water can still be quite dangerous--even for teenagers who are very capable swimmers--if proper safety rules are not followed. How big is the risk of drowning? According to statistics presented by the Centers for Disease Control's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, drowning is the second leading cause of injury-related death for children between the ages of 1 and 14, accounting for 940 deaths in 1998. What you can do as a parent The good news is that a majority of water-related injuries and deaths are preventable. By taking the time to learn about potential water hazards in and around your home, you can greatly reduce your child's risk. Simple steps such as close supervision of young children around any sources of water, and enforcing age-appropriate rules (and continued supervision) of older children and teens, can make all the difference to your child's well-being.
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