Rebeccasavekids's Blog
Working together to save kids from drowning.Bringing home baby…
I used to volunteer in the nursery of a large teaching hospital. I found it a wonderful respite after a day in the corporate trenches where the needs of my charges were so easily met – food, diaper, cuddle. I learned many unexpected lessons in those years which helped prepare me for bringing home my own two precious babies. First, the number of totally panicked first-time fathers, faced with their first major test of fatherhood – the car seat. Some arrived with the car seat still in the box, others with the car seat lying in the trunk or across the back seat. I saw more than a few fathers almost reduced to tears as they attempted to figure out the diagrams that would ensure their long-awaited child survived the trip home from the hospital. When I had my children, we spent about 2 hours figuring out the car seat and practicing strapping in a teddy bear – before I gave birth!
The wonderful nursing staff at the hospital taught valuable care lessons – how to bathe the baby, swaddling, nursing, and burping without breaking the baby’s back (my personal fear). One life skill was missing, unless you signed up separately – Infant CPR. Many expectant parents sign up for birthing classes, but how many of us think to sign up for the CPR class? I’d guess there are a number of reasons why so few people take infant/child CPR – the time (only a few hours, much less than the birthing classes), the cost (fairly low), and maybe the fear factor. I’m pretty matter-of-fact about treating cuts, bruises, broken bones and hurt feelings, but I’m the first to say that facing the thought that my beloved child could die is almost paralyzing. That said, learning CPR can literally be the difference between life and death. An 8-month old choking on a piece of cracker or carrot, an 8-year old who has been stung by a bee for the first time and has a reaction, a 5-year old who got whacked in the chest too hard playing ball with the older neighborhood kids, a pool party where you lose track of your child for just 2 minutes and see them at the bottom of the pool. All terrifying thoughts to any parent, but knowing CPR could literally be the difference between life and death. You teach your children about stranger danger, crossing the street, you watch what they eat and fret over them when they are sick, spending sleepless nights as you reassure yourself that their breathing is normal – do your family a favor – learn CPR as well, it could save their life.
At what age should you start your kids in swimming lessons?
When do most parents sign their kids up for swimming lesson? I don’t have any stats, but I’m guessing it’s school-age, the rites of summer when parents are thinking about heading for the pool and the beach. Problem is, drowning is the 2nd leading cause of death in ALL children ages 0-14, not just school age. The best time to start children swimming is as infants or young toddlers and winter is a great time to head for an indoor pool and burn off some energy. Some parents are afraid that it will make their kids too confident in the water, but I know for mine I wanted them to understand clearly the cause-and-effect of jumping in (supervised, of course) – you jump, you sink. Before you all start panicking, the jumping was part of games designed to teach water safety, build confidence in the water, and help them develop a healthy respect for the water – and it worked. For me it was instinct, survival (we had a pool) and watching my aunt teach thousands of toddlers in LA that got me into the pool with my kids from 6 months onwards. Now, for the first time, a research group led by Dr. Ruth A. Brenner shows that “from our calculations, we are confident that swimming lessons do not increase drowning risk in this age group and likely have a protective effect.” For more information, check out the following blog.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2009/03/swimming-lesson.html?cid=150381321
Dunking – innocent fun or teasing turned dangerous?
I vividly remember my younger (stronger) brother dunking me in a lake when I was about 9 years old. That feeling of terror as I realized I couldn’t get away from him. My lungs feeling as if they were about to explode from holding my breath while I struggled. I did manage to get away without incident and still love the water though I have a terror of being dunked even at my advanced age. My brother couldn’t understand why I was so mad at what he saw as harmless teasing. Dunking someone seems as much a part of summer ritual as cannonballing, water gun fights and betting each other they can’t go off the high dive, but when does it become life-threatening? Obviously dunking a child can quickly turn dangerous if the child is held under too long and the child begins to drown, but a child can also dry drown 1-24 hours after they’ve ingested too much water – by dunking, getting knocked under by a wave or just having too much fun in a water fight to realize they’ve swallowed more than they’ve splashed. The link below gives the symptoms of possible dry drowning, which can affect children with asthma or other lung problems more easily. As parents we’d step in if we saw our child bicycling without a helmet- maybe dunking is another one of those ‘innocent’ childhood activities where the danger outweighs the fun.
http://children.webmd.com/news/20080605/sc-dry-drowning-death-draws-attention
How can children’s safety transcend political and cultural barriers?
I just read an article that linked high, increasing childhood drowning rates in New Zealand to schools closing their pools. http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/drownings-cause-serious-concern-3175756#. The principal of one school states, ‘”I think that it’s a community responsibility. Yes, they (kids) are here during the day and there’s parents, but in the interest of the safety of our children now and in the future, I think it’s a community responsibility.” I’m American but I’ve also lived in the UK and in France and have been around the world. Every country has a different level of involvement in people’s lives and within each country people have different expectations of how much the government should be involved. Aside from the obvious emotional attachment we have to our children, children are a future economic resource and drowning is an economic cost. One estimate places the total lifetime annual cost of children drowning at $6.8 billion, in the U.S. alone. The total cost of a single near-drowning that results in brain injury – $4.5 million. I’ve been spending a lot of time lately collecting information on drowning prevention and water safety programs, and there are a lot of outstanding organizations working on the problem, but drowning is still the second leading cause of death for children in virtually every developed country, and a leading cause of death in developing countries. Why is this? Why isn’t protecting children an unquestioned global priority? What programs are accepted and embraced in your country or community? Could they translate to other countries? How can we all work together to leverage our resources and move that frightening ‘second leading cause of death’ statistic permanently out of second place?
Keep swimming, keep swimming, keep swimming
I’ll bet all you parents recognize that line from Finding Nemo, but even better, I’ll bet all your kids would recognize the line ‘keep swimming’ as well. Any time you can tie a character or a repetitive statement to a skill it becomes a game for your child instead of the white noise of instructions usually issuing from your mouth, like ‘wash your hands….cover your mouth….put the seat down….don’t tease’. My daughter came home from kindergarten today and instructed me the correct way to make the number 9 – a circle and a line, that makes a nine. If your child is struggling with learning to swim and they enjoyed Nemo, maybe they would relate to Nemo’s Dad and Dora and how they never gave up trying to find Nemo. Make it a game while you hold them in the pool and have them kick and paddle and keep swimming, keep swimming, keep swimming. Even better, they know you are there for them as long as it takes for them to learn because just like Nemo’s dad, you’d never give up on your child.
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall….turn around and hang on! My kids have been doing ‘Humpty Dumptys’ since they were 6 months old. Water safety is the first line of defense in keeping kids safe. They sit on the side of the pool and you recite the familiar nursery rhyme and help them ‘fall’ into the water, head above water first and then as they get comfortable they lean forward and fall under the water, then you help them ‘turn around and hold on’. Say the words over and over again, do the routine over and over again, and you may have just bought yourself 2 precious minutes if your infant or toddler falls into the water because you taught them to turn around and hold on. And if they can’t do that, maybe, just maybe, you kept them from panicking right away and that gave you the 2 minutes you needed that they were missing. Turn around and hang on. Turn around and hang on. Turn around and hang on.
Could you have saved Emily?
At a popular Australian pool last week, Matthew Kennedy, an 8-year old boy with autism, a severe speech impediment and learning difficulties, recognized that Emily, a 3-year old girl, was in distress. He jumped in, grabbed her arms, lifted her head above the water and pulled her out of the pool. Emily was unconscious and foaming at the mouth. Matthew’s father and the lifeguard began CPR, Emily began to breathe again and she was taken to the emergency room, still alive.
There are two heroes in this story – the first is clearly Matthew, whose brave and selfless actions saved a younger child. The second is Matthew’s father, John Kennedy. Mr. Kennedy had been a lifeguard for 25 years. One month earlier he began teaching his children what to do in an emergency, as he himself knew water safety and CPR.
Teach water safety, swimming and CPR. Emily would thank you.
Teaching swimming = healthy kids + safe kids
Remember the first time you gave your new baby a bath? That rather concerned look on their face when you lowered them carefully into the water and then that flicker of recognition, ‘oh yes, water, I floated in my warm and comforting cocoon for the previous 9 months before you ejected me in a rather forceful manner’. I remember that my two quickly came to love bath time – the amazing splash of water that they were able to create just by moving their hands and feet, such power! Such fun! Babies love the water, so it’s the best time to start them swimming.
A study released this week* proved that participation in formal swimming lessons cuts the risk of drowning for children ages 1-4 by 88%. Babies love the water and starting your kids in swimming lessons as infants will make them safer in the water, at a minimum it may keep them from panicking and buy you a precious 2 minutes that is the difference between life and a drowning death. Swimming is amazing exercise as well, so kiss those worries of childhood obesity goodbye. And the serious bonus for parents? Try moving through the water with your child – resistance exercise!
* A research group at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development released the study in the Archives of Pediatric Adolescent Medicine, March 2009. http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/163/3/203
Has a loved one drowned?
My mom always told me that her greatest fear was to have one of her children die before her. I kind of understood before I had kids – now that I have my two and my borrowed two I really, really, really understand what she was talking about. There isn’t ever a good time to lose a loved one, but just hearing of any child dying brings tears to my eyes and a twist to my gut. No one wants their child to die, there is a reason drowning is the second leading cause of ‘accidental’ death – it’s just that, an accident. Like the cause of any accident taking precautions and being vigilant can help, but accidents do happen, and if it has happened to you or someone you know, there is an excellent new online support group for survivors.
The National Drowning Prevention Alliance (NDPA) has introduced JADES (Journey After a Drowning Experience Support). This network is designed for people who have experienced the death or injury to a loved one resulting from a drowning incident. The link to the blog can be found on the top-left corner of the NDPA website, at www.NDPA.org or can be accessed directly at http://JADESNetwork.blogspot.com . This private, moderated blog offers a forum for discussion around many different aspects of the journey after a drowning.
Who is watching your kids?
Thanks to Rochelle M. for another good story this week. Rochelle lives in a wonderful complex close to the ocean, complete with pool, BBQ area, outside fitness section – a paradise for kids and grownups. She was passing by the pool last week and noticed 2 kids playing in the pool. Not toddlers, old enough to be swimming, so maybe 5-8 years old, but not tall enough to stand in the deep-end. Their babysitter was sunning herself by the side of the pool – listening to her iPod. I know how my 8-year old doesn’t know his own strength. After about the 9 millionth time I issued the warning not to grab someone in the pool or jump close to them the warning started to sink in. Of course that is unless he’s playing and momentarily forgets, or he’s with older kids and desperate to keep up, or his younger sister is driving him nuts, or….or….or….. I’ve been working on drowning prevention for a couple of years so I’m on the slightly neurotic end of the scale when it comes to watching my kids in the pool, but I get nervous when I see the responsible adult is plugged in or tuned out. Drowning is quiet and if a kid has been teasing or playing too rough they might be afraid of being yelled at or punished and not raise the alarm right away. Kids don’t recognize the dangers of drowning – they need constant supervision. Hard for the caregiver, I know. What I wouldn’t give some afternoons to just hang by the pool with my book, have a good gab with a friend, or just close my eyes for a few blissful moments, but then I realize those days are still in the future or unless someone I trust is watching my kids for me, really watching.
