Swimming Lessons Could Reduce Drowning Deaths among Kids below Four

Thursday, June 3rd, 2010 | Lawyer Marketing

Swimming classes would actually help minimize the risk of drowning deaths in children between the age of one and four. That observation comes via the American Academy of Pediatrics, which, this week, released its updated pool safety guidelines to prevent drowning-related deaths among children.

It is also an important observation because the group has so far refused to endorse swimming classes for children of this age group. The generally held belief has been that kids of this age may not be ready for swimming lessons, and therefore, the American Academy of Pediatrics had not recommended lessons for this age group. However, now the pediatrician group says that swimming lessons for kids between ages one and four could lower the risk of these kids suffering a fatal swimming pool accident.

Drowning is the biggest cause of unintentional death among children below the age of four. most of these deaths occur in residential swimming pools, and backyard and inflatable pools. In this context, the recommendation by the American Academy of Pediatrics takes on special significance. Los Angeles personal injury lawyers believe it is even more important during summer season, when more kids will be around these pools.

However, the pediatricians are also warning that parents must not rely heavily on swimming lessons as a guarantee of their child’s safety in the water. When a child falls into the water, it’s very easy for panic to strike, and the child could simply forget whatever swimming skills he had learned. In order to drown-proof your pool, there are other things that you must do, besides enrolling your 1 to 4-year-old child in swimming classes.

• Fencing around the pool is an absolute must. The fencing must be at least 6 feet high.
• Any Los Angeles personal injury attorney would also stress that lifeguards around a public or commercial pool must know how to perform CPR on a child.
• Even with swimming lessons, there is absolutely no excuse for parents to leave their child alone in the pool for even a few seconds.

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