SUMMER SAFETY – WATER
Carla Hay-Perdue, DNP, APRN, FNP, ANP-BC, NC-BC
Community Education Coordinator/ Family Nurse Practitioner at Palo Pinto General Hospital
July 13, 2022
Preventing dry drowning
Dry drowning is a type of drowning, which is one of the leading causes of death in young children. But you can minimize the chances of drowning by doing your best to prevent water accidents altogether.
In the case of children 2 years old and younger, any water submersion is a serious risk. Even if a child is just under the water for a minute or two, take them straight to the emergency room after a water scare.
Keep these safety rules in mind when you have small children in your care:
- Supervise children who are under 4 years old in any body of water. This includes the bathtub.
- Children under 4 years of age should never swim or bathe unassisted.
- Passengers of all ages should wear lifejackets while boating.
- Consider taking an infant CPR class if you frequently supervise children at the pool or the beach.
- Invest in swimming lessons for yourself and your children.
- Keep pool gates closed at all times.
- Don’t swim or play near the ocean without a lifeguard present.
Dry drowning symptoms to watch for such as:
- difficulty breathing or speaking
- irritability or unusual behavior
- coughing
- chest pain
- low energy or sleepiness after a water incident