Return of Summere Is The Time to Remember That Active Supervision Prevents Child Drowning and Near Drowning Incidents

National Poll Reveals 81 Percent Of Parents Are Not Aware That Drowning In Backyard Swimming Pools Is The Leading Cause Of Death For Children 0-5 Years -- Only 49 Percent Use Layers Of Protection"

LOS ANGELES, CA (PRWEB) June 26, 2004 -- With summer in full swing, the risk of young children drowning has increased as Americas 6.8 million residential pools are now in full use. Already this year, 94 children have drowned in backyard swimming pools. Florida, Arizona, California, Texas and New York are the top five states for juvenile drowning incidents.1

Estimates by Centers for Disease Control and the Consumer Products Safety Commission, show nearly 400 toddlers drown in residential swimming pools each year, making drowning the leading cause of death for children under the age of five.

More than 1,000 children under 14 drown each year, making accidental drowning the second leading cause of death for this age group. Approximately 5,000 children are hospitalized each year because of near drowning incidents and 2,000 of these children suffer irreversible brain damage.2

It is heart-breaking to see these tragedies repeated every year," said Todd Appleman, founder of eSafetAlert.com and PoolSafetyNetwork.org, a website dedicated to water safety and drowning prevention. We commissioned a Harris Interactive Poll, and found 81 percent of parents are simply unaware that the family pool is a 'danger zone for children. Only 59 percent of the families with swimming pools are using even one 'Layer of Protection to help prevent child drowning incidents."

PoolSafetyNetwork.org, through its Water Safe Kids - Drowning Prevention Campaign, offers parents safety tips, information and other resources from pool safety experts, including information about the Layers of Protection" that are still not widely adopted by many parents. These layers" or barriers" recommended by various organizations include3:

-- Alarms on all doors providing access to the pool area

-- Non-climbable fencing, 5 6" or taller around the pool perimeter, with a self-closing gate

-- Gates should have an alarm and a latch above the reach of small children

-- Automatic-retracting pool safety cover or net

-- Telephone near the pool and life-saving equipment near the pool

-- One or more pool alarms

Layers of protection create a series of barriers that limit access to the pool," said Appleman. While none of these barriers can replace active parental supervision, they do prevent many accidents from happening."
Drowning accidents unfold within seconds," adds Appleman. Parents should never leave their child unattended even for a moment. Drowning is considered a silent death."

According to many studies, in most cases (75% to 90% of time), one or more supervising adults are near-by when the child drowns. Contrary to what many believe, when a child drowns, it happens quickly and without warning. Even seconds count in near-drowning incidents."4 For example:

-- If the child is under water for more than 45 seconds, they will require medical assistance

-- If a child is under water for more than two minutes, they will loose consciousness and require emergency medical treatment. About one-third of the children who are comatose upon arrival, will suffer some level of neurological damage

-- After five minutes under water, the child will have irreversible neurological brain damage. Medical costs for these victims can be $75,000 for the initial emergency room treatment and as much as $230,000 per year for long-term care. Medical costs for victims who suffer profound brain damage can exceed $5 million. About 15 percent of these patients die.

-- When a child is found after 10 minutes, in almost all cases, they will require cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Only about 10 percent of these victims survive.

About eSafetyAlert.com

eSafetyAlert is an official reseller of the Safety Turtle5 pool alarm, the only alarm of its kind that alerts parents when a child falls into pool or other water hazard. Considered to be the last line of defense, the alarm consists of an AC-powered base station and one or more wristbands that lock snuggly on a childs wrist with a child-proof key. If the child falls into the water, the alarm base sounds a siren and continues until the system is reset. Information about the alarm is available online at www.eSafetyAlert.com. For more information about pool safety, drowning prevention and Layers of Protection," visit www.PoolSafetyNetwork.org. or call toll free 1-800-892-9551.

Sources:

1 National Safety Council
2 National Safety Council
3 Consumer Products Safety Commission
4 American Pediatrics Association
5 Safety Turtle tested by the Consumer Products Safety Commission