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SALT LAKE CITY — Summertime means pool time, but pools can be dangerous — even those little wading pools in the backyard. A new study released Monday sends a warning to parents.
The numbers are surprising. The study from Nationwide Children's Hospital in Ohio shows a child drowns every five days in a portable pool during the summer months.
Just telling our children ‘be careful, it's dangerous;' that will not work for little children.
–Janet Brooks, Primary Children's Medical Center
#brooks_quote
"The thing parents need to remember is that drowning is quick, it's silent, and it's final, and it can occur in a matter of just a minutes, and it can occur in just a few inches of water," said Dr. Gary Smith, of Nationwide Children's Hospital.
The consumer product safety commission found that from 2001-2009, there were 209 fatal accidents and 35 non-fatal accidents in portable pools. Of those accidents, 94 percent involved kids under the age of 5 and 73 percent occurred in the child's own backyard.
Now the American Academy of Pediatrics has concluded that portable pools pose a "significant risk" of drowning for kids age 5 and younger.
"Just telling our children ‘be careful, it's dangerous;' that will not work for little children," said Janet Brooks, child advocacy manager at Primary Children's Medical Center.
- Never leave children alone in backyard pools
- Never leave water in the pools after play time is over
- Avoid using covers designed for inflatable pools
"Wherever there is water, supervise. Be there," Brooks continued. "We can't just say ‘be there,' we also have to say ‘be aware.' We can easily become distracted."
Researchers behind the study say to avoid the danger, parents should never leave children alone in the pools and should never leave water in the pools after play time is over.
"When you're done, drain the pool. Just turn it upside down, let it dry, just to make sure there's no water in it," Smith said. "Kids can potentially drown in 2 inches of water, so you just need to make sure your pool is drained.
The study does look at covers that are available for inflatable pools but does not recommend them. Researchers say if the pool deflates at all the cover can easily slip off, making it easy for children to get in the water.
Experts say the best thing for parents to do may be avoid the inflatable pool altogether and take kids to a municipal or club pool where lifeguards are on duty.
Written by KSL News producer RaeAnn Christensen with contributions from Lori Prichard.
