Water Safety Tips for Kids and Families

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This article is sponsored by The Iowa Clinic

water safetyYou don’t need to fear the water when you are with your kids, but you do need to take precautions so everyone is safe and has a good time. Here are water safety tips for families from The Iowa Clinic. 

Water Safety Tips

Kids of all ages must be watched when they’re around water. This is true whether the water is in a bathtub, a wading pool, a swimming pool, a spa, an ocean, or a lake.

Even kids who know how to swim can be at risk for drowning. Though drowning is a leading cause of death for children, it’s largely preventable by taking the right precautions and keeping a close eye on your children whenever you are near water.

The biggest drowning threat for toddlers is unexpected, unsupervised access to water, even if it’s not deep. Young children can drown in less than 2 inches of water, which means drowning can happen even in a sink, bucket, or inflatable pool. For younger children and weak swimmers, implement “touch supervision” where your child is within arm’s reach at all times.

family water safety

Prevention

Swimming lessons are an important part of water safety. Young children can start water safety lessons beginning at age 1 and by age 4, most children are ready for lessons that will teach them the basics. Remember, swimming lessons do not make your child immune from danger, and you should still exercise all the same precautions. Parents are also strongly encouraged to learn CPR.

CPR

If your child has a near-drowning episode, is having trouble breathing, or has stopped breathing, remove them from the water as quickly as possible. Begin performing CPR as quickly as possible and have someone call 911. If you are alone, perform CPR for two minutes before stopping to call 911.

Watch our conversation with Dr. Hanson to learn more water safety tips for your family. 

 

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