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Ask Dr. Sue
FAMILY SWIMMING AND CHILDREN
Dear Dr. Sue,
My husband has been wanting to put in an in-ground pool.
I have several objections to having a pool, but the main
one is that we have two little boys, ages 5 and 7, and
it scares me to death to think of having a swimming pool
around them. What is your opinion about children
and swimming pools?
Concerned Mom
Dear Concerned Mom,
Personally, I would not have a swimming pool with small
children in the household. That said, however, I
know that many people manage to raise their children to
adulthood even with a swimming pool. What I would
like to do, therefore, is tell you some statistics about
drowning and then tell you what to do to ensure the
safety of your children (and others) if you do put in a
pool.
Drowning is the leading cause of accidental, non-illness
related death in children under two in the U.S. In
10 states, including Oregon and Washington, it is the
leading cause of death in all children under age 14.
It is the 2nd leading cause of death for U.S.
adolescents. Each year an average of 1150 children
under 14 drown in the U.S. In 77% of drownings,
the child had only been out of sight for 5 minutes or
less. 5000 children per year are hospitalized for
near-drowning. Of these, 20% will survive with
severe brain damage. 350 children under the age of
six drown per year in U.S. swimming pools. Most of
these are being cared for by one or both parents at the
time, and are found in their own pool with their
clothing on (in other words, no one expected them to be
in the water at that time). 75% of drowning deaths
occur in children under four, and drowning is more
common in boys than girls. A swimming pool is 14
times more likely to be involved in the death of a child
four and under than a motor vehicle is!
How do you ensure that YOUR pool is safe at all times?
You must have a secure, well-maintained fence around the
pool, with a lockable, sturdy gate. The fence
should be at least five feet high. The gate should
be self-closing, and should open out from the pool.
The fence should completely separate the house and play
yard from the pool, if possible.
NEVER prop the gate to the pool open, even for a second.
When you close the gate, ALWAYS double-check to be sure
that it latched. This should become second nature
to all family members.
If you have guests, they won't have this habit:
check it for them, or call to them to check the gate as
they close it. Store the keys to the gate in a
place that is not reachable by any maneuver your child
may dream up.
Consider installing self-closing mechanisms on your
house doors if toddlers are likely to be around,
especially if any doors open to an area that gives
access to the pool. Warning alarms
should also be installed on doors and windows that open
into the pool area.
Keep your pet door locked at all times if it opens into
the yard where the pool is.
If your yard is the wraparound type, keep the front door
locked as well, if small children are in the household.
Keep all patio furniture inside the pool fence if
possible. At the very least, keep them well away
from the pool fence so they can't be used to climb it.
Install a phone in the pool area; NEVER leave to answer
the phone if children are around or in the pool.
Have a shepherd's hook and a lifesaving ring at
poolside. As an extra layer of protection, install
a pool safety cover. (Power operated ones are
reportedly safest and easiest to use.) Never use
the pool with the cover partly open, however, as
children can become trapped underneath it.
If you have an above-ground pool, always remove the
steps when you are not using the pool
Children over four should have swimming lessons, but
don't allow lessons to give you a false sense of
security. Many deaths from drowning occur in
children who have had lessons. (Note:
swimming lessons aren't advised in children under four.)
If a child is missing, look in the pool area FIRST.
Don't expect splashing or screaming to alert you that
your child is drowning: drowning deaths in
children are usually totally silent.
Remember, your child could be at risk of drowning even
if you don't own a swimming pool. Does your
neighbor own a pool? If so, take this checklist to
their house. Look over their fence and how well it
is maintained. Ask whether the gate is left open for any
reason, even briefly. Find out where they store
the keys, and whether their children can get to them
unsupervised.
Never leave water in wading pools or buckets when you
are done with them. Always remove standing water
from the top of your spa or hot tub. Be sure these
are covered with thick, durable
LOCKING covers. Don't take your eyes off your
child who is playing in a wading pool or hot tub, or
even in the bathtub under age five. If there is
standing water on your property, like a pond
or stream, install self-closing doors and/or alarms on
your doors, and keep doors locked when you are inside.
Keep your small child by your side at all times when you
are outside together. Remember how quickly drowning can
happen!
Finally, learn CPR, and take refresher courses as
advised, every two years. Ensure that any sitters
you use in your home also know CPR, and instruct them
carefully in pool safety issues.
 
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