Child safety while swimming - education about myths and important facts

Safety tips: Children should not be overlooked on and in the water
For many people there is nothing better in summer temperatures than spending their free time in the outdoor pool or at the lake. Especially children love the cooling in the cold water. Parents and caregivers should never lose sight of the little ones near and in the water. Drowning is one of the most common causes of death in young children.

Not only seniors are at risk
Almost every year, fatal bathing accidents are reported in the summer months, often affecting the elderly, whose weakened cardiovascular system can not cope with the lower water temperatures in the heat. The consequences include heart failure, cramping and rapid fatigue. But even children are endangered when bathing.

Especially for children there is usually nothing better in summer than to cool off while bathing. Parents should not let the little ones out of sight on and in the water. Drowning is a common cause of death in toddlers. (Image: Brocreative / fotolia.com)

Even a shallow garden pond can be a danger
As the Professional Association of Paediatricians (BVKJ) writes on its website "kinderaerzte-im-netz.de", drowning is one of the leading causes of death in children between one and four years. Parents and caregivers must therefore be particularly vigilant on beaches, lakes and ponds. Even a shallow garden pond could become a deadly danger for the little ones. The president of the DLRG, Hans-Hubert Hatje, appeals to the parents not to lose sight of their offspring.

Fatal accidents in unguarded waters
Even as the children get older, they are still at risk. In 2015, a total of 25 children and adolescents aged under 15 drowned in Germany. According to the German Life-Rescue Society (DLRG), a large part of the fatal accidents occurred in unguarded lakes and rivers. A recent study shows that babies under the age of one already have a bath or a bucket of water to drown.

Children between one and four years old are more likely to be in the pool. And children who are five or older often drown in natural waters, such as a pond, lake or river. According to experts, parents often have misconceptions about drowning. Therefore, it should be cleared up here with some myths:

People always drown drowning children and scream?
According to experts, drowning is silent. Mostly there are few signs. Neither splashing water nor waves nor a screaming child. Parents and carers should therefore not believe that they would hear or see the little ones when they fight for their lives. Parents should also say goodbye to the view that a few minutes of inattention are safe. According to experts, potential helpers have less than 60 seconds to react.

Lifeguards do not release parents from their responsibilities
Parents should also not weigh in safety and leave their offspring unattended, just because a lifeguard is on duty. The lifeguard, beach guard, water rescue service and other staff, while watching the pool / swimming rules, keep their gaze on the water surface regularly and intervene if someone is to be rescued and revived. But they can not always have a particular child in mind.

Half of the drowned children could swim
Unfortunately, the myth that children who had swimming lessons can no longer drown is unfortunately still widespread. But even they are not immune to this danger. For example, a study of children who drowned in a pool revealed that nearly half of those between the ages of ten and 17 knew how to swim.

Many primary school students are non-swimmers
In addition, data from the nationwide study on child health (KiGGS) showed that many primary school students can not swim. According to the DLRG, the causes are manifold. For example, 25 percent of elementary schools in Germany would no longer have access to the swimming pool because the organizational effort was too high.

DLRG leader Hatje stated in a message: "We are therefore pressing vigorously for the preservation of the baths and urge the municipalities, especially the elementary schools to allow access to bathrooms."

Safety tips for parents
The BVKJ message lists some safety tips for parents: Children should always be supervised when they are in the water. Young children should always be within reach of an adult. And older children should always swim with a partner. Furthermore, parents who talk to others while children are swimming should alternately delegate the responsibility of a person watching the children with their full attention as "water watchers".

It should be ensured that the offspring learn to swim. As reported, the Seahorse Badge does not yet confirm safe swimming. This is therefore achieved only with the youth swimming badge bronze. For example, an adolescent must be able to jump from the edge of the pool and cover a 200-meter stretch in water in a maximum of 15 minutes. (Ad)