The disclosure of preventive measures is the best tool to reduce the rate of infant deaths in the pool, along with social awareness. It should be accompanied by regulations that regulate child safety in swimming pools, although this is not always the case.
The National Association for Child Safety returns as last year at the beginning of the pool season, to disseminate its decalogue of preventive measures to prevent fatal accidents while children bathe. There are enough six centimeters of water to cause a drowning, therefore there are no excuses: 'it is not necessary to watch, our total is a small portable pool'.
All preventive measures included in this decalogue are based on the characteristics (low motor skills, zero or low risk perception, etc.) and habitual behaviors (curiosity, wanting a toy that is in the water, etc.) of the smallest , and it is adults who must see the space in the same way as children to achieve the effectiveness that is sought
According to the Committee for Safety and Prevention of Child Injury of the AEP (National Association of Pediatrics) childhood injuries triple during the summer period, drowning being the main danger.
This decalogue does not differ much from that elaborated last year, since the objective pursued is the same: raise awareness of the need to establish safety measures to prevent accidents and drowning, in own or other pools.
I am tired of seeing private pools completely accessible for children: they are surrounded by a small fence of less than half a meter, or covered with tarps, without knowing that in case of walking or jumping over them, the fabric can break and the victim falls into the water, without the possibility of leaving.
It is very important that we know that three out of four deaths from this cause occur in private pools, and that 5000 minors die in Europe every summer due to drowning (just reading the figure already scares me). On the other hand, 70% of the drowned are under six years old, which should not be read as: 'Of course you have to be more careful with babies!', But as' I have children in this age group (more than six) and they can also drown in the pool if I don't supervise them. '
It's definitely about believing that we can do a lot to avoid these misfortunes, because summer is a time to enjoy and have fun (not to regret our neglect), let's take risks away for everyone's benefit.
