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With summer approaching, many parents are looking for ways to keep the kids entertained and cool this summer. Visit any large retailer and you are likely to find a series of inflatable pools with attached rocket squirt guns, slides and all kinds of fun features for kids. Inflatable pools seem more like floats than pools, but have you ever wondered how safe they actually are?
How Safe Are Inflatable Pools?
Recently, a Consumer Product Safety Commission Report revealed that the number of deaths in children under age five who died as a result of drowning in pools and spas has increased. Safety officials are not certain what is causing the increase in water fatalities, but experts advise that all adults with children near a body of water should tightly supervise children to reduce their chance of injury.
Meanwhile consumer advocates point out that the rise in drowning deaths in this age group correlates with the availability of cheap inflatable pools at big box retailers. Inflatable pools typically do not have a cover and certainly are not equipped with fences and alarms to divert children from harm. In addition, inflatable pools often have pliable sides or soft covers which invites the possibility of young children falling in. Consumer advocacy groups are urging parents not to buy these inflatable pools this summer due to their incredible risk potential.
To Toss or Not to Toss: The Big Debate
If you do happen to have one of these pools and your kids are extremely tied to it, relax. Just make sure that if your child does play in an inflatable pool that an adult is within arms reach and paying close attention the entire time the child is in the pool. If you need to take a break, remove the child from the pool and never leave children unsupervised near water. When children are finished with the pool, dump the water out in the plants. (Save the earth too, remember :)
Bottom Line
Children who are under 5 years old should be supervised very closely while near bodies of water. Even children that know how to swim can drown in a moment, so it is important for all adults to take pediatric CPR courses at least every 2 years and constantly supervize kids.
For more information on water safety, visit www.watersafety.org
For CPR instruction visit www.redcross.org
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