Drowning Claims Far Too Many Kids

According to the CDC, two children under age 15 in the U.S. die from drowning every day.
Drowning is the second leading cause of death in children 1-4 years of age.
It is the second leading cause of accidental death in those 1-14. It is a very old and persistent problem.
Drowning is respiratory impairment from being immersed in a liquid.
This can happen when water enters the lungs (aspiration), when the larynx at the top of the windpipe spasms shut to prevent water from getting into the lungs.
It can also happen when somebody hyperventilates and then blacks out while swimming underwater.
About 5% of children who drown aspirate just enough water in their lungs to disrupt the action of the natural detergent (surfactant) that helps them expand.
Children may seem fine for 1-48 hours after a near-drowning incident until they start having respiratory distress (sometimes called “secondary drowning”).
Ten children under 15 years of age are seen in an ER for nonfatal drowning each day in the U.S. Over half will need further care (such as hospital admission).
Factors that increase the risk of drowning in children include a lack of swimming ability, lack of close adult supervision, lack of barriers (such as pool fencing), location (having a home swimming pool, where most 1- to 4-year-olds drown).
Other factors are failure to wear life vests, alcohol use, and having a seizure disorder (these children can even drown in a bathtub during or after a seizure).
Factors that help guard against drowning (logically) include formal swim lessons (there is evidence that this may help all the way down to a year of age), close adult supervision, having those around the child know CPR and life jackets.
Other ways to guard against drowning are swimming with a buddy, avoiding alcohol around the water, not relying on swim toys to keep a child afloat, installing four-sided fencing around pools with a self-shutting and self-latching gait, and keeping the pool deck cleared of toys.
Swimming into rip currents should be avoided. (Swim parallel to the shore until out of it, if this happens).
Those with a seizure disorder should be closely supervised around water and consider taking showers rather than baths.
Swimming and playing in the water are a lot of fun for children (and adults). Precautions need to be taken to keep them safe.
Two deaths from drowning a day are two too many.