What Do You Know About Swimming Safety for Kids?

Don’t rely on a lifeguard to watch your child. Be alert. Don’t get distracted. Stay within arm’s reach of young children in and around water. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says that parents should never leave children alone near water, even for a moment. Drowning happens quickly and silently. According to the Red Cross, many children who drown in home pools are out of sight for less than 5 minutes. Teach children to stay away from drains in the swimming pools. Make sure that pools have compliant drain covers.

Most children should learn to swim for their own safety, says the AAP. In fact, the AAP advises parents to also take swimming lessons. The group advises swimming lessons for children when they are ready to learn the skills. For children ages 1 to 4, parents should decide if a child is ready to learn.

Swimming lessons have not been proved to prevent drowning. But swimming lessons given from ages 1 to 4 help teach important skills, and may reduce a child’s risk of drowning. The AAP doesn’t advise water safety programs for children under age 1. Even if your child knows how to swim, you still need to watch them constantly during pool time.

Life jackets should be worn when a child is in, on, or around water. This includes at pools, water parks, and on boats, rafts, or inner tubes. A life jacket should be used even if a lifeguard is present.

Water wings, inflatable toys, and pool noodles are toys—not safety gear. They should never be used in place of a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket. They may deflate, or a child may slip out of them and under the water.

Drowning is the leading cause of injury-related deaths in children ages 1 to 4. It’s also the second-leading cause of death in children ages 1 to 14 after motor vehicle crashes. A child can drown in only 1 inch of water. Boys and Black children have much higher rates of drowning than girls or white children.

Even if a child seems fine, they need to be checked by a healthcare provider. If a child stops breathing, inhales water, or loses consciousness, they need to be watched for 24 hours. This is to make sure there’s no damage to the lungs or brain. Severe brain damage may result in long-term memory problems, learning disabilities, and loss of basic functioning.

Any parent, nanny, babysitter, grandparent, or other caregiver who takes a child to the pool should learn CPR. The faster CPR is started, the better chance of a child’s recovery.

If someone forgets to put on the motorized cover, it doesn’t protect. It may also malfunction. The best protection is a fence that is at least 4 feet high with a self-latching gate. The latch should be at least 54 inches off the ground.

Swimming in a lake or river can take more ability. The water may be colder, and it may have currents and waves. The water can change quickly with the weather. Check the local weather forecast for strong wind or storms before taking a child to swim in a lake or river. Also have the child wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket.