Drowning can happen fast, and despite all we know about prevention, it’s still the leading cause of death by unintentional injury in kids.
Never leave your child alone
The most important piece of advice: Regardless of your comfort level around water or any swimming classes, you should never, ever leave a child alone in or near any body of water, even for a minute. It only takes a few unsupervised seconds for a little one to drown.
Fence in your pool
Whether you have a large inflatable pool, a freestanding above-ground pool or an in-ground pool, make sure it’s surrounded by a four-sided fence that’s at least 4 feet high. Most accidents occur when a child wanders out of the house and falls into the pool, so make sure the fence doesn’t have any openings that a young child could crawl under, over or through.
Invest in rescue gear
Keep rescue equipment by the pool, including a shepherd’s hook (a long pole with a hook on the end) and a life preserver. Always bring your cellphone with you when you go for a splash in case you need to call for help.
Keep your child within arm’s reach
Be sure to stay that close even after your tot has swim lessons under his belt — at least until he’s 4 years old. But kids can drown at any age, so be sure to remain vigilant even with older kids.
Stay above the waterline
You’ll also want to make sure your new swimmer doesn’t inhale water while splashing around (something little ones may do), which could possibly lead to secondary drowning, a rare but serious condition. So try to keep your baby’s head well above water at all times, and keep any underwater submersions brief and supervised.
Don’t rely on floaties
As long as you’re in the water with your child and keep her within reach, water wings and inner tubes are fine. But never use these inflatable swimming aids as a substitute for approved life vests — they’re just not reliable or safe enough.
Consider swim lessons to be a health-care priority.
Even if you don’t live close to water, your child will end up near it at some point, whether on vacation or at someone else’s home.
