Drowning a threat for youngsters

-It's one of the leading causes of childhood death.

Sunday May 10, 2009 It's a warm summer day and you're at the beach with your kids. Your cell phone rings and you answer it, shifting your focus from your kids to the conversation.

Good idea?

Not at all, according to Safe Kids of St. Joseph County, and it could even be deadly. Children can get into trouble in a matter of seconds when around water, so Safe Kids of St. Joseph County recommends that parents actively supervise — with their eyes on their kids at all times — when they are in or near the water.

Drowning is the second-highest cause of unintentional death for children ages 1 to 4 and 10 to 14. About 3 out of 4 pool submersion deaths and 3 out of 5 pool submersion injuries occur at a home pool. Overall, about 830 children ages 14 and under die each year in unintentional drownings, and on average, there are an estimated 3,600 injuries to children after near-drowning incidents each year.

"Kids drown quickly and quietly," said Ron Melser, coordinator of Safe Kids of St. Joseph County. "A drowning child cannot cry or shout for help. The most important precaution for parents is active supervision. Simply being near your child is not necessarily supervising."

Even a near-drowning incident can have lifelong consequences. Kids who survive a near-drowning may have brain damage. After four to six minutes under water, the damage is usually irreversible.

Although 90 percent of parents say they supervise their children while swimming, many acknowledge they engage in other distracting activities at the same time — talking, eating, reading or taking care of another child.

When there are children in or near the water, adults should take turns serving as the designated "Water Watcher," paying undivided attention.

Visit the Web site www.usa.safekids.org/water to download a free Water Watcher badge.

New pool/spa law will help save lives

One of the most horrific ways for a child to be injured or killed in a pool or hot tub is entrapment. In 2007, the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act became law. The law is named for the granddaughter of former Secretary of State James Baker. Virginia died tragically at the age of 7 in 2002 after being trapped under water because of the suction from a spa drain.

The law makes it illegal to manufacture, distribute or sell drain covers that do not adhere to the standards for anti-entrapment safety set by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The Act also requires public pools and spas to be equipped with these anti-entrapment drain covers as well as a device to disable the drain in the event of an entrapment.

Another important component of the law is that it establishes a grant program to reward states that adopt comprehensive laws mandating certain safety devices for all pools and spas.

Additionally, the law creates a national drowning prevention education program and media campaign administered by the CPSC.

— Safe Kids of St. Joseph County