Little ones drown silently – swimming pool as a death trap: how to protect your child

Drowning is the most common cause of fatal accidents in this country for small children under the age of five, and the second most common cause for five to fourteen year olds. “An average of three children drown in Austria each year. In about three others, the lack of oxygen will result in lifelong, sometimes serious disability as a result of the accident,” emphasizes University Professor Dr. Holger Till, Chairman of the GROSSE SCHÜTZEN KLEINE Association and Board Member of the University Clinic for Pediatric and Adolescent Surgery Graz. About 40 children require hospital treatment after a drowning accident.

Danger in your own garden
About half of water accidents occur in public swimming pools. According to experts, the chance of survival is highest there at 93 percent. The danger in your own garden is still underestimated. According to Dr. Peter Spitzer from the Research Center for Child Accidents of the association GROSSE SCHÜTZEN KLEINE explains.

It is therefore not only of the utmost importance that children learn to swim well as early as possible, but that in and around the water – especially the very youngest – the 100% attention of the parents must be given. The average age of drowning incidents in children in the garden is two years. The following safety tips regarding cool, wet water must therefore be strictly observed:

• Always supervise children in and around water until they are proficient swimmers and at least 10 years old!
• Don’t rely on swimming aids! They don’t provide reliable protection.
• In the worst case (especially in murky water), children can be found more easily in striking neon-coloured swimwear.
• Do not provide supervision to older siblings!
• Teach young children to only enter and exit the water with adults, and older children to only swim in pairs!
• If children have disappeared: Always look first for water!
• In any case, for smaller children, non-slip bath shoes are recommended in the paddling pool and swimming pool.
• Discuss the most important bath rules with your child!
• Be careful with groups of children, especially in puberty: more children, more ‘creativity’ and ‘impressive behavior’. Explain to your children that there can be a fine line between fun and serious, especially when diving, jumping and sliding!

• Secure swimming pools/biotopes/ponds with a 1.5 m high fence and self-closing door or provide them with a lockable roof.
• Think carefully: do you really need a private pool now or would you rather wait until the children are older and can swim (well)?
• There are electronic security systems for private swimming pools that sound an alarm if a child enters the water unattended or is in danger of drowning.
• At children’s parties and barbecues, an adult must always keep an eye on what is happening at the pool.
• Create a safe pool environment (be careful with rocks, sharp edges/corners)!
• “High pool”: Be aware of the risk of falling off the ladder and over the edge of the pool!

Drowning of children occurs within minutes, silently and from only a few centimetres of water depth. Due to the play death reflex, which lasts until the child is three years old. The glottis closes, the child can no longer scream or move and loses consciousness extremely quickly. Breathing stops after only four to five minutes under water.

In order to be able to respond quickly and correctly in case of emergency, Univ.-Prof. Dr. Tot has a crash course for parents and guardians to take for children.