YORK, Pa. — The official first day of summer is just over a week away, and people are digging out their swimming gear to celebrate.
While playing in the pool or ocean can be a lot of fun, it also comes with inherent safety concerns.
Dr. Vinitha Moopen with WellSpan Health shares tips on how to keep kids safe in the water this summer.
She emphasizes that parents should begin practicing water safety as soon as babies are born. It's possible for anyone to drown in just one to two inches of water, so the physician says to make sure all supplies to give an infant their bath are within arm's reach so there's no reason to leave them unattended.
It's also never too early to introduce children to the water, as long as there is proper supervision and safeguards.
"When you have pools, you have to make sure that you have a fence on all four sides at least four feet tall and no more than four inches between slats," Dr. Moopen said.
While teaching children to swim early can help mitigate the risk of drowning, the danger never completely subsides. The doctor says swim lessons are key for children 4 years and older to start getting them comfortable and learn proper water safety as soon as possible.
Life jackets and life guards are also important safety nets that can save lives, especially when it comes to teens.
"Teenagers usually overestimate their ability and underestimate their risk," Dr. Moopen said. "A lot of times, drinking is involved when there are accidents in a body of water."
The physician says that older kids should remember to always jump in feet-first, not head-first, and that it is never safe to be inebriated in the water.
The physician also cautions parents against devices designed to alert them when a child leaves the house or jumps in the pool without permission, saying they can give parents a false sense of security.
Most of the water safety tips can be boiled down to one imperative rule: be aware of your surroundings.
"Most toddler drownings happen at non-swim times," Dr. Moopen said. "Take the toys away from the pool (so kids aren't tempted to get in the water without an adult); make sure there's a life jacket if you're near a natural body of water. Having that supervision is key."
If your child needs to be seen by a doctor, click here to make an appointment with WellSpan.