Garden pond danger
Press Release 807, 17/07/2008
Experts warn of garden pond danger
Child health specialists at Leicester's hospitals are pleading for parents to be
vigilant with small children following a spate of drownings.
In the last four months the accident and emergency unit and children's intensive
care unit at Leicester Royal Infirmary have dealt with five accidents where
young children have fallen into garden ponds, three of which have died. This
represents half the annual national average.
The unit are concerned this trend could rise through the summer as children
begin their school holidays.
James McClean, matron for the children's intensive care unit at Leicester's
hospitals, said: "Small children can drown in just a few centimetres of water.
"Over the last few months we have seen the results of these accidents. We've
seen five children come into our hospital and three have tragically died. We see
the devastation that it leads to for families and it is heartbreaking for the
nursing staff in intensive care and all the staff, particularly because it is
potentially avoidable.
"All parents know that once children are crawling or walking they are into
everything and naturally curious about everything with no idea of the dangers.
This is why it is vitally important that parents take adequate precautions and
never leave small children alone near water, even for a minute."
The children treated for drowning ranged in age from small toddlers up to six.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) estimates around five
children drown in garden ponds each year across England.
The society recorded 58 children under the age of six drowned after falling into
garden ponds between 1995 and 2005. Children aged one to two are most at risk.
David Walker, from RoSPA, said: "Sadly, every year we hear of children drowning
in garden ponds or other enclosures of water in the garden, such as swimming or
paddling pools or water butts, and sometimes these incidents happen after a
child has strayed into a neighbour's garden. Children under six-years-old are
particularly at risk because they can easily get into the water, but often
cannot get themselves out again.
"Our advice to parents is to look around the garden from a child's perspective
to see if there are enclosures of water that they could climb or fall into. Then
consider how best to isolate these items. We recommend filling in a pond while
the children are young or, if this isn't possible, covering it with a rigid
grille.
"However, it is crucial to remember that supervision is the most effective way
of preventing accidents to young children. We have heard of cases where parents
have been temporarily distracted, for example by a telephone call or in a
party-type environment, and a child has wandered away and got into difficulties
in water.
"As children get older, teach them about water safety, and, as a parent, make
sure you know what to do in an emergency and have learnt some first aid."
Water Safety
When it comes to water safety the best
protection you can give your children is not the Pool alarm or the Safety fence
or any of the other devices that are on the market. The best water safety
protection you can give your children is you!
You are the one that insures that the pool
alarm is put back in the pool when you have finished swimming, it is you that
insures that the pool gate is closed and the gate alarm is active. All safety
products can only work if you make sure that they are in good working order and
that they are "Tried and Tested" and used correctly.
With the constant news of another child
drowning in a garden pond or a villa's pool, water safety has come to the
forefront of people minds when going on holiday or when children are very small.
It has also allowed companies to flood the market with drowning protection
products that have never been tried or tested.
Remember this is your child and you only get
one chance, don't ever compromise on
safety. Make sure that what you are
purchasing has been Tried and Tested. Make sure it has history and is not one of
the many cheap copies coming out of the Far East. You child is the most precious
thing to you and as such should be given the best protection in life.
Remember safety products are just a added
piece of security, it is you that is the best child safety product on the
market.
Your family
comes first
Never Assume
Never assume that some one is watching your children, if some one is watching
over your children make sure that you are happy that they are carrying this out
correctly.
When we mean correctly, we mean that there full attention is being paid in the
safe guarding of your children.
Ensure that they are not.
- Reading a book
- Talking to other people
- Drinking any form of alcoholic drink
- Playing in the pool (You can't see what
is below the water if your in the pool)
- Play cards
- Doing anything that could distract them
from there duty.
It should also be noted that when supervising children, after a time fatigue
will set in, so you should consider having some sort of shift pattern.
Other rules with regard to water safety are as follows: -
- Instruct babysitters about potential pool
hazards to young children and about the use of protective devices, such as
door alarms and latches. Emphasize the need for constant supervision.
- Never leave a child unsupervised near a
pool. During social gatherings at or near a pool, appoint a "designated
watcher" to protect young children from pool accidents. Adults may take
turns being the "watcher." When adults become preoccupied, children are at
risk.
- If a child is missing, check the
pool first. Seconds count in preventing death or disability. Go to the edge
of the pool and scan the entire pool, bottom and surface, as well as the
pool area.
- Do not allow a young child in the pool
without an adult.
- Do not consider young children to be
drown proof because they have had swimming lessons. Children must be watched
closely while swimming.
Do not use flotation devices as a substitute for supervision.
- Learn CPR (cardiopulmonary
resuscitation). Babysitters and other caretakers, such as grandparents and
older siblings, should also know CPR.
- Keep rescue equipment by the pool. Be
sure a telephone is poolside with emergency numbers posted nearby.
Remove toys from in and around the pool when it is not in use. Toys can
attract young children to the pool.
- Never prop open the gate to a pool
barrier
Basic Water Safety Emergency Guide
There
are certain things we can do that in times of emergency can make the
difference between the life and death of a child. If your child ever comes
up missing and you are at a home or place with a pool, check the pool
first!
Survival in a water emergency depends on a
quick response and CPR as needed to restore breathing. As a parent you
should make certain that every caregiver of your child is trained in CPR.
Make no exceptions as this simple technique can save your child’s life.
If you do find your child submerged in water
immediately pull him out and check for breathing. Have someone call 999
immediately. If breathing is verified than CPR should not be initiated. If
your child is not breathing and help is on the way it is up to you to start
rescue-breathing while you await an emergency response.
Rescue breathing should be given in five
cycles of breathings and chest compressions. It should take about 2 minutes
to complete five cycles. If after five cycles your child is not breathing
you must continue CPR. If your child is breathing after a few cycles then
quickly lay them to their side so that any fluid can drain out of their
airway.
If a drowning or near drowning occurs as the
result of a trauma or accident that may have involved the neck of spinal
cord the child should be kept on their back. Take your hands and forearms
and brace their shoulders to ensure they remain still until help arrives...
Ensuring your child's safety is your number
one priority so you will need all the help you can get. Sometimes just one
child safety tip can save your child from harm. Visit
ChildProofingTips.com
for more great child Safety & childproofing advice.
CPSC Warns Drowning Dangers Do Not End with Pool Season
click here to read more......
See video on Bath Tub Safety
Click here....
See video on Swimming Pool Safety by the CPSC
Click here....
2007 Drowning Prevention Campaign
Click here.....
Drowning Facts
1) In spite of the fact that drowning is the
most likely way a middle or upper income parent could lose a child, most parents
(55%) do not worry much, or at all, about their child drowning.
2) A child submersed in your pool will lose consciousness in as little as two to
four minutes.
3) A child deprived of oxygen will die in as little as four to six minutes.
4) Children who are resuscitated following prolonged oxygen deprivation may
suffer permanent, life-altering brain damage. Devastating near-drownings are
almost as common as fatal drownings.
5) A child can drown in as little as 3 to 4 cm of water.
6) Most drowning events are totally silent.
7) Boys are three to four times more likely to drown than girls. Boys are
generally more adventurous and engage in risky behaviour more frequently.
8) 60% of all drownings occur in children aged between 1 and 4.
9) 70% of all pool drowings occur in fully fenced pools
10) Fewer than one third of these drowning victims intend to be in the water.
11) 90% of drownings occur whilst a child is under supervision.
12) Almost all parents say that they actively supervise their children while
swimming, but 94% admit to engaging in distracting activities such as snoozing,
reading and using the phone whilst supervising.
13) Rapid initiation of CPR and first aid is recognised as being absolutely
critical to survival. A rescued but unconscious child who is not breathing is in
just as much danger as if he or she were still in the pool.
The Layers of
Safety Campaign
website
is an excellent resource for pool safety tips.
Child
Safety
When
you are out and about with young children it can be very easy, especially in
crowded places to lose sight of were they are.
The
first thing to teach your children if they do lose sight of you is to stay calm
and not get alarmed.
They
should stay calm and look around to see if they can spot you, they should not
run around trying to find you.
If you
are in a crowded place, you should all agree before hand a place to meet if any
one gets lost.
If you
are in a supermarket the children should be told to go to the checkout desk and
tell the person that they are lost.
Ensure
that they know there name, address and a contact telephone number.
If
they get lost on the street, they should not approach strangers but go to the
nearest shop and ask for help.
TODDLERS AND BACKYARD POOLS:
UNDERSTANDING
THE THREAT
by
Bob Lyons
Among children ages 4 and under,
there are approximately 400 residential swimming pool drownings and 3,000
near-drownings per year in Canada and the United States. More than one-third of
the accidents occur at the homes of friends, neighbors or relatives. Drowning
is the second leading cause of accidental death among children ages 14 and
under, and the leading cause of accidental death of children 4 and under.
Toddlers whose parents have recently purchased a pool are at the greatest risk.
Factors surrounding immersion
accidents experienced by young children are related. Three major categories of
factors are significant: characteristics of the victim, the environment and
supervisory factors. Lapse of supervision is always a contributing factor to an
immersion accident of a young child.
Sources of data are: death and
hospital admission statistics; coroners' reports; and water related incident
reports by proactive local governments, e.g., Maricopa County, Arizona. This
data has been analyzed by National SAFE KIDS Campaign (US), Injury Prevention
and Child Safety Program (Canada), The Lifesaving Society, etc.; but
unfortunately, results are not at hand to those who need it most: parents
with backyard pools.
Accident rates in
Phoenix/Scottsdale, Orange County and other areas with very high pool
concentrations and usage have dropped dramatically as a result of serious
education campaigns directed at pool owners and pool builders. This
article identifies and qualifies the sources of risk which all pool owners with
young children or grandchildren should be aware of.
VICTIM
CHARACTERISTICS AND BEHAVIOR
Each immersion incident is linked
to behavioural and developmental factors. Teenagers (15-19 years of age) and
preschoolers (1-4 years of age) are most at risk, for different reasons.
Toddlers are exploring and testing their environment, imitating adult behavior
but unaware of the dangers of water and usually without the swimming skills to
stay afloat. In Canada and the US, male victims outnumber female victims after
the first birthday, with the gap widening with increasing age. This suggests
that behavioral differences between the two sexes may play a role.
But what about individual
differences with the same age and gender group? Are some toddlers more
immersion accident prone than others, and is this indicated in their behavior?
Unfortunately, the data provides no "heightened risk" symptoms for the 1-4 age
category. Nonetheless, the following can reasonably be stated:
·
Toddlers as a group
seize only a small percentage of their unintended pool entry opportunities.
·
A toddler is capable
of setting short term goals: venturing into the back yard pool is a "reasonable"
short term goal.
Some toddlers may be particularly
vulnerable. Parents and judges should be mindful of this.
SUPERVISORY
FACTORS
A breakdown in caregiver
supervision contributes to each child immersion accident. Three distinct
scenarios can be identified and analyzed:
· child
enters the pool area unobserved
· child
is near the pool with caregiver permission but without caregiver intention that
he/she enter the water
· child
has caregiver permission to be in the water
The first two are most relevant to
the supervision of toddlers.
More than half the reported
accidents (though less than half the fatal ones) occur when the toddler is
near the pool with caregiver permission. Fencing and intrusion alarms, even
when secured 100% of the time, are incapable of preventing these accidents.
Uninterrupted supervision (not just caregiver presence) is critical when
a toddler is near water. Individual alarms worn by the child are now available
as a last line of defense.
THE
ENVIRONMENT
Unfamiliar surrounding is a major
risk factor. Less than one third of all toddler immersion accidents occur in
"familiar" pools; the rest occur at friends', relatives' or neighbors' houses or
in home pools purchased or installed less than six months before. Lack of
adequate security and failure to detect problems, such as broken gate
latches, contribute to accidents. Caregivers are often distracted by unfamiliar
surrounding, just when they should be on heightened alert.
An in-ground pool without 4-sided
fencing is twice as likely to be involved in a toddler drowning as an in ground
pool with 4-sided fencing or an above ground pool. This ratio may overstate the
benefit, as 4-sided fencing also differentiates more and less safety conscious
pool owners generally. Nonetheless, it is an important environmental factor.
Accident rates vary with time of
year and day of week. Rates increase with pool usage - 40% of accidents are on
Saturday or Sunday. Rates are also higher at the beginning of the pool season.
There is no evidence that air or water temperature affects a toddler's
inclination to enter a pool.
Inevitable, unpredictable and
difficult to control, caregiver distraction is the most insidious
of environmental factors. Backup and support to the primary caregiver is
critical. Parents need to be on the same page with respect to their regimen,
and prudent in delegating responsibility to supervise their child around water.
Uninformed parents typically exhibit different levels of concern; unfortunately,
a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Over 90% of families that lose a
child end in a divorce.
TECHNOLOGY TO THE RESCUE?
Pool security products are becoming
available in increasing numbers, but it is too soon to assess their
effectiveness in reducing accidents. Human nature being what it is, other
measures might be relaxed in the presence of a security product.
An intrusion alarm, like a physical
barrier, does not (in most practical cases) protect the toddler near the water
with caregiver permission. Nor does it follow a child from pool to pool, i.e.,
to unfamiliar surrounding. Intrusion alarms are usually disarmed by swimmers
and pool cleaners. Due to false alarms, they are also sometimes disarmed at
night and during absences from the house. The effectiveness of intrusion alarms
therefore depends on everyone with unrestricted access to the pool. Alarming,
self-closing gates are less prone to human error, providing the alarm is not
disabled during pool occupancy.
Personal alarms such as Safety
Turtle provide an additional layer of protection to intrusion barriers and
alarms. Effectiveness depends on caregiver's) reattaching the locking wristband
to the child after each bath or supervised swim.
But no alarm has proven to be an
effective substitute for a supervision regimen adhered to by both parents. And
no electronic or mechanical device is effective 100% of the time even when used
correctly.
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