Child Drownings Still High In US: Tips On Swimming Safety This Summer

A new report has found that child drownings in the United States continue to remain high, with deaths occurring mostly among children below five years old.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) released its annual drowning and submersion report Monday. It found that drownings among children below 15 years remained high even during the pandemic.

On average, there were about 6,200 spa or pool-related emergency department (ED)-treated non-fatal drownings each year from 2018 to 2020. An average of 78% of these cases was among children younger than five years old.

The report also found an average of 397 pool or spa-related fatal drownings in the age group each year from 2016 to 2018. Among these fatal drownings, 75% were among children below five years of age, with 83% of the cases happening in residential pools.

"Child drownings remain the leading cause of unintentional death among children ages one to four years old," the CPSC said in a statement.

The data did show a slight decline in hospital ED-treated pool or spa-related non-fatal drownings. For instance, compared to 6,400 and 6,300 cases in 2018 and 2019 respectively, there were only 5,800 cases in 2020. However, the CPSC clarified that this was "not statistically significant" as the decrease was "likely" due to the restrictions and limitations on activities, such as swimming, in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

"As we enter the summer months, parents and caregivers must be mindful of the pandemic's impact on their children's swimming ability and water safety skills," CPSC Acting Chairman Robert Adler said in the news release. "With fewer children attending swimming lessons during the past year, it is critical to refresh these and others the life-saving skills, while practicing increased vigilance both anywhere children are swimming and during non-swim times as well."

Pool safety tips for the summer and beyond

What can people do to protect children from drowning? As always, it's important to never leave them unattended, whether they're in the water or just near it. There should always be someone dutifully watching the child and not being distracted by texting or any other activity.

"In addition to pools and spas, this warning includes bathtubs, buckets, decorative ponds, and fountains," the CPSC said.

It's also important to have everyone in the family know how to swim, and for adults to learn how to do CPR on both adults and children. The grown-ups should also make sure that the children are always away from pool pipes or drains to prevent them from getting trapped.

Pool barriers, covers or alarms are also important to preventing drownings, and children should be taught to never climb over the fence or gate. Inexperienced swimmers should be made to wear life jackets.

If a child goes missing, it would be wise to "check the water first" as even "seconds count" when it comes to preventing disability or death.