“Help! Help! I’m drowning! Someone help me!” Arms flailing, screaming, these are your cues when someone is drowning. Right? Wrong. In the depths of a brutally cold winter, drowning is probably the last thing on your mind. Frostbite, probably. House-bound insanity with kids, yes. Booking a spring break trip someplace warm or fantasizing about some beach/pool time when warmer weather arrives? Absolutely!...
In Chicago this morning the thermometer read a frigid -9F (-23C). We had our first real snow of the season last weekend and the ice rinks are almost ready for use. Winter is here!!!! But drowning knows no seasons. When we think of ice and snow, we don’t think of drowning, but the risk remains, particularly in those areas that were open water and are now ice or so snow-covered you don’t even know...
For many years, conventional wisdom has held that blacks can not swim. (I use the term ‘black’ to apply to anyone of African descent. The term is meant with respect to encompass the broad range of cultures descending from the African continent) A widely discredited academic report years ago stated that the physiology of a black person leads to their sinking which explained why blacks couldn’t...
Swimming lessons save lives. One of my most popular posts talked about what age you should allow your children to swim unsupervised, but at what age do you start them in swimming lessons and do swimming lessons really make a difference for young children? A study 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...
Editor’s Note: In honor of Pediatric Safety’s 4 year bloggiversary, we are publishing 4 of our favorite posts from the past, one each Friday for four consecutive weeks. This – our 4th and final post – was originally published in April 2011 by Rebecca Wear Robinson, a member of our PedSafe Expert Team. Rebecca has dedicated her life to keeping kids safe around water and it is both...
No one has eyes in the back of their head, but when it comes to water and young children an extra set of eyes would sure help keep children safer. Today I’m talking about some water safety products that can act like an extra pair of eyes. If you have a pool and also have young children, non-swimmers, or a special needs child, think about investing in a wrist alarm. Also a great product to have when...
