Swimming Into Summer

Kim Gubbins, CPNPFrom the desk of  Kim Gubbins, CPNP Teaching your children how to swim is not only a life long lesson, it could also save their lives. According to a technical report from the AmericanAcademy of Pediatrics (AAP), drowning is a leading cause of injury-related death in children. The highest rate of drowning occurs with children under four years old, particularly toddlers, aged 12 months to 36 mos. Additionally, most childhood drowning occur from May through August. The AAP and Pediatric Health Associates recommends that children 3-4 years old should learn to swim via swim lessons. Not all children are ready for swim instruction at this age therefore parents need to evaluate their child’s readiness and developmental level.  Due to the fact that drowning is a prevalent risk to our children, the American Academy of Pediatrics offers advice for parents about the water. The main recommendation from the AAP is to never leave a small child unattended near any type of water. This also includes not leaving smaller children under the care of older children when near water. Other recommendations include keeping weaker swimmers at an arms length from an adult. The AAP states that “drowning is not generally associated with a complete lack of adult supervision, but, rather, with a momentary lapse in supervision.” If you have a pool at your house, the AAP recommends that adults know CPR, the pool cover is capable of holding the weight of a ...
Source: Pediatric Health Associates - Category: Pediatrics Tags: Healthy Habits Source Type: news