Families are flocking to area pools as the mercury rises, but the trips to the pool comes with its own risks if you have small children.
According to the CDC, the leading cause of death for children under the age of 4 is accidental drownings. Thousands of kids drown every year, it averages out to roughly 10 children per day.
David Woitulewicz, the Director of Aquatic Operations at Aqua Tots, told 7 Action News that parents need to take pool safety seriously. It starts with teaching kids the rules around bodies of water, but parents have a lot to do with safety too. Woitulewicz said simple things like toys left by a pool deck can lead to an infant reaching for something and falling into the water.
Of course, some parents go one step further than teaching their children safety. Aqua Tots, a business with five metro Detroit locations, starts swimming classes for children as young as 4-months.
“Tears are natural,” said Woitulewicz, when asked how kids react, “but it’s natural. It comes from separation anxiety and just learning about the buoyancy of water. Once they start to do it over and over again, repetition is what gets them through.”
At Aqua Tots the goal is to teach kids how to adjust their bodies in water. What it feels like to float. Experts say as a child grows comfortable in water they’re more likely to relax and stay calm if they fall in while a parent isn’t looking.
“Every second counts, and everything from floating to knowing how to turn over can matter.”
Health data backs up the “every second counts” mantra. The CDC notes that for every child that drowns another five end up in emergency departments requiring further care. Drowning injuries that don’t result in death can still lead to serious brain damage which can lead to long-term disabilities such as memory problems, learning disabilities or even loss of basic functions.
If you’d like to learn more about swimming programs in the metro Detroit area, you can visit the Aqua Tots website: https://www.aqua-tots.com/.
