Georgia Injury Law Blog
New Pool Safety Guidelines Call for Swimming Lessons for Children Below 4
The general wisdom, thus far, has held that children may only begin swimming lessons after they complete the age of 4. Pediatrician groups have traditionally believed that children below 4 years of age, may not be developmentally ready for swimming lessons. That attitude is now changing. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, if children below the age of four have swimming classes, it could actually help prevent many pool drowning deaths
Drowning is the second biggest cause of unintentional death among children between the age of one and 19. The risks are dramatically higher for children between the age of one and four. Now, the American Academy of Pediatrics is recommending a series of steps to prevent drowning-related deaths in children of this age group, and swimming lessons is one of those measures.
However, the group is warning that swimming classes may not be ideal for all children below the age of four. Children suffering from a cognitive or motor disability, may not benefit from swimming lessons at all. Further, it is important for parents and caregivers to know that swimming lessons alone cannot guarantee pool safety. Just because your child has taken a few swimming lessons, does not mean that you can leave him in a pool, unsupervised.
In fact, the pediatrician group is recommending a multipronged approach to preventing swimming pool-related deaths.
· Install fencing around the pool. Fencing should be at least 4 feet high.
· Make sure that all caregivers know how to perform CPR on a young child.
· Never leave a child unsupervised around a pool.
· Make sure that all doors to the pool are latched.
· Take special care around backyard pools, inflatable pools and hot tubs. These are linked to a significant number of drowning-related accidents involving children, every year.
With summer here, the numbers of children frolicking in backyard pools, hot tubs, inflatable pools, public pools, and pools in apartment buildings, recreational complexes, and hotels, will increase. It is extremely important these facilities also make certain that their pool design, construction and safety measures meet all standards.
The Atlanta premises liability attorneys at the Katz Personal Injury Lawyers represent injured victims of slip and fall accidents, swimming pool accidents, assaults and rapes, and other accidents that occur on someone else’s premises.