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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

 

 

 

Preventing window falls

by Carolyn Manno (cmanno@wsbt.com)

Safety locks are one option for protecting children from window falls. (WSBT photo)

Safety locks are one option for protecting children from window falls. (WSBT photo)

By WSBT Sports

SOUTH BEND — Placing a crib, changing table, toy chest or chair next to your windows might offer your child a nice view — but that view can prove to be deadly.

Window falls account for 12 childhood deaths and 4,000 injuries a year for children under 10 years of age. Just as recently as February 9 this past year, a window fall was responsible for a critical injury to a child in Indianapolis when the child leaned through the screen and fell from a three-story window.

"Windows are very dangerous if you are not paying attention to them," said Safe Kids co-coordinator Lieutenant Ron Melser. Safe Kids is a non-profit organization of volunteers dedicated to fighting the number one killer and disabler of children — easily preventable injuries.

"There are a lot of different options that can keep kids safe around windows. They have safety locks, a lot of the new windows now actually come with guards that pop out so the window only opens up so far," said Melser.

But Melser stresses that keeping windows in your home is important. They provide a secondary means of escape from a fire. While a child may have to use a window to escape in an emergency, it's important for parents and care givers to practice with their kids to help them learn to safely use a window under those circumstances.

Window Safety Tips

  • Keep your windows closed and locked when children are around. When opening windows for ventilation, open windows that a child cannot reach, or in the case of a double-hung window, open the top sash only.
  • Set and enforce rules about keeping children's play away from windows or patio doors. Falling through the glass can be fatal or cause serious injury.
  • When performing spring repairs, take care to make sure your windows are not painted or nailed shut. You must be able to open them to escape in an emergency.
  • Keep furniture — or anything children can climb — away from windows. Children may use such objects as a climbing aid.
  • Never try to move a child that appears to be seriously injured after a fall — call 911 and let trained medical staff move the child with the proper precautions.
  • Consider using cordless window products in your home if you have young children or they visit your home frequently.
  • Remember that some homes may have window guards, security bars, grilles or grates already covering their windows — but those windows are useless in an emergency if the devices on them do not have a functioning release mechanism. Time is critical when escaping a fire.

Click here for more information on window safety.

News

04-29-08 Safe Kids press release.pdf
04-15-08 Safe Kids press release.pdf
03-14-08 Safe Kids press release.pdf
03-05-08 Safe Kids press release.pdf
03-05-08 Safe Kids media advisory.pdf
02-11-08 Safe Kids press release.pdf
02-09-07 Safe Kids press release.pdf
01-17-08 Safe Kids press release.pdf

Meeting Minutes

2008 Meeting Minutes archive
2007 Meeting Minutes archive
2006 Meeting Minutes archive

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Safe Kids of St. Joseph County Square Phone: 574-647-2694 Square Fax: 574-272-4043Square E-mail: Safe Kids