CDC Pool injury Statistics

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta, in 2007, there were 3,443 fatal unintentional drownings in the United States, which averages ten deaths per day. An additional 496 people died from drowning and other causes in boating-related incidents. Of these drownings, more than one in five fatal drowning victims are children 14 and younger. For every child who dies from drowning, another four children received emergency department care for nonfatal submersion injuries.

In 2007, males were 3.7 times more likely than females to die from unintentional drownings in the United States. CHILDREN: In 2007, of all children 1 to 4 years old who died from an unintentional injury, almost 30% died from drowning. Although drowning rates have slowly declined, fatal drowning remains the second-leading cause of unintentional injury-related death for children ages 1 to 14 years.

What are the major risk factors?

LACK OF BARRIERS AND SUPERVISION. Children under one year most often drown in bathtubs, buckets, or toilets. Among children ages 1 to 4 years, most drownings occur in residential swimming pools. Most young children who drowned in pools were last seen in the home, had been out of sight less than five minutes, and were in the care of one or both parents at the time. Barriers, such as pool fencing, can help prevent children from gaining access to the pool area without caregivers’ awareness.

The percent of drownings in natural water settings increases with age. Most drownings among those over 15 years of age occur in natural water settings like rivers, lakes and oceans.

ALCOHOL USE. Alcohol use is involved in up to half of adolescent and adult deaths associated with water recreation and about one in five reported boating fatalities. Alcohol influences balance, coordination, and judgment, and its effects are heightened by sun exposure and heat.

To help prevent water-related injuries, the CDC recommends this:

SUPERVISION. Designate a responsible adult to watch young children while in the bath and all children swimming or playing in or around water. Supervisors of preschool children should provide “touch supervision”, be close enough to reach the child at all times. Adults should not be involved in any other distracting activity (such as reading, playing cards, talking on the phone, or mowing the lawn) while supervising children.

BUDDY SYSTEM. Always swim with a buddy. Select swimming sites that have lifeguards whenever possible.

AVOID ALCOHOL. Avoid drinking alcohol before or during swimming, boating, or water skiing. Do not drink alcohol while supervising children.

LEARN TO SWIM. Formal swimming lessons can protect young children from drowning. . However, constant, careful supervision and barriers such as pool fencing are necessary even when children have completed swimming classes.

LEARN CARDIOPULMONARY RESUSCITATION (CPR). In the time it might take for paramedics to arrive, your CPR skills could make a difference in someone’s life. CPR performed by bystanders has been shown to improve outcomes in drowning victims.

DO NOT USE AIR-FILLED OR FOAM TOYS. Do not use air-filled or foam toys, such as “water wings”, “noodles”, or inner-tubes, in place of life jackets (personal flotation devices). These toys are not designed to keep swimmers safe.

If you have a swimming pool at home here are some ways to make it more safe:

• FOUR-SIDED FENCING. Install a four-sided pool fence that completely separates the house and play area of the yard from the pool area. The fence should be at least 4 feet high. Use self-closing and self-latching gates that open outward with latches that are out of reach of children. Also, consider additional barriers such as automatic door locks or alarms to prevent access or notify you if someone enters the pool area;
• CLEAR THE POOL AND DECK OF TOYS. Remove floats, balls and other toys from the pool and surrounding area immediately after use. The presence of these toys may encourage children to enter the pool area unsupervised or lean over the pool and potentially fall in.”
• Install Infra Red Motion Detectors;
• Install tightly fitting Pool Covers Children Cannot Sink Underneath;
• Install a Closed Circuit Camera System in Their Recreational Pool Areas.