Botsford HealthSource Magazine

Prevent Injury with Summer Safety Tips from the Trauma Center

It’s time to get those swimsuits out again, and parents need to be vigilant when young children are in and around pools.

Portable swimming pools—like wading pools, inflatable pools and soft-side, self-rising pools—pose just as much risk for drowning as in-ground pools. According to a recent study using data from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, during June, July and August, a child drowns in a portable pool about once every five days. Young children are at an especially high risk for drowning in a portable pool-almost 94 percent of drowning or near drownings involved a child under the age of five.

Safe, Supervised Swimming
If you have a portable pool at home, follow these tips from the Botsford trauma team to keep your family safe:

Keep a close eye on children who are in or near the water. Don’t socialize, read or sleep when watching the children. In the study, nearly 40 percent of drownings happened while children were being supervised.
Teach children basic water safety, including that they should never get into a pool without an adult.
When possible, empty portable pools between uses.
Bring a phone to the pool area so you can call 911 in case of an emergency. Learn CPR so you can provide care until help arrives.
Looking for a safer option? Turn on a sprinkler rather than using a portable pool.

Resources:

Trauma Services

Emergency and Trauma Center

Physician Referral

Urgent Care

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Botsford HealthSource Magazine

Prevent Injury with Summer Safety Tips from the Trauma Center