Household Safety: Preventing Drowning

Water safety is important at any age, but is especially crucial if you have babies or toddlers in your home. Drowning can happen very quickly and in less than 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) of water, so filled bathtubs, swimming pools, wading pools, hot tubs, and even buckets of water and sinks can be dangerous.

To reduce your child's risk of drowning:

Bathroom

• Never leave a baby unattended in the bath. If you must answer the telephone or door, don't rely on an older sibling to watch the baby; wrap your baby in a towel and bring him or her with you.
• Never leave a small child unattended near a bucket filled with any amount of water or other liquid.
• Never use a bathtub seat with suction cups. The seat can overturn and flip a baby headfirst into the water.
• Install a toilet-lid locking device or keep bathroom doors closed at all times. (Or you may want to install a doorknob cover.)

Pool

• If you have a pool in your backyard, install fencing at least 5 feet (1.5 meters) high on all sides of the pool, as well as a self-closing and self-latching gate with a lock that's out of a child's reach.
• Consider installing a pool alarm or cover.
• Remove toys from the pool when children are finished swimming to prevent them from trying to recover them when unsupervised.
• Inflatable flotation devices such as vests, water wings, rafts, and tubes can give a false sense of security in the pool and are not effective in protecting a child from drowning. Never use these as a substitute for constant adult supervision.
• Dump out all water from a wading pool when you're finished using it.
• Remove any ladders from an above-ground pool when not in use.
• If you leave your child with a babysitter, make sure he or she knows your rules for the pool.

Be Prepared

If you're expecting a baby or you already have a child, it's a good idea to:

• Learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and the Heimlich maneuver.
• Keep the following numbers near the phone (for yourself and caregivers):
  - toll-free poison-control number: (800) 222-1222
  - child's doctor's number
  - parents' work and cell phone numbers
  - neighbor's or nearby relative's number (if you need someone to watch other children in an emergency)
• Make a first-aid kit and keep emergency instructions inside.
• Install smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors.

Maintaining a Safe, Kid-Friendly Environment
To check your childproofing efforts, it's a good idea to get down on your hands and knees in every room of your home to see things from your child's perspective. Be aware of your child's surroundings and what might be potentially dangerous.

If you opt to minimally childproof, you can shut the doors (and install doorknob covers) to any room your child shouldn't enter to prevent wandering into places that haven't been properly childproofed. Doorknob covers and childproof locks for sliding doors are also great for keeping little ones from leaving your home. Of course, how much or how little you childproof your home is up to you. Supervision is the very best way to help prevent your child from getting injured. However, even the most vigilant parent can't keep a child 100% safe at all times.

Whether you have a baby, toddler, or school-age child, your home should be your little one's safe haven, where he or she can explore safely. After all, touching, holding, climbing, and exploring are the activities that develop your child's body and mind.

Reviewed by: Barbara P. Homeier, MD
Date reviewed: November 2004
Originally reviewed by: Kathleen M. Cronan, MD, and Steven Dowshen, MD

Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor.

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