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SearchA pediatrician offers some important swimming safety tips to keep in mind as pools reopen this Memorial Day.
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CLEVELAND - Many pools will be reopening this Memorial Day.
And if you’re planning to take your little ones swimming, there are some safety tips parents should keep in mind.
“There should be an adult water watcher within arm’s length of your kids while they’re at any public pool or even any personal pool,” said Richard So, MD, pediatrician for Cleveland Clinic Children’s.
Dr. So said it only takes a second for an accident to happen.
According to the CDC, more children ages one to four years old die from drowning than any other cause of death.
To help avoid that kind of tragedy, it’s recommended that children take swimming lessons by the age of four.
Or even earlier if they live near a pool or pond, or have a boat.
When it comes to lifejackets, those should be Coast Guard approved.
Dr. So said for anyone who owns a pool, it’s important to make sure they’re fenced in and have a working alarm on the gate.
That way if your child does somehow sneak out, you’ll be alerted.
“Besides swimming lessons to protect your child, I think everyone who owns a pool should have at least have an adult who knows CPR,” he said. “You can go to your local American Red Cross and you can take an easy basic life-saving classes. If you have a pool, it comes up with a lot of responsibility. You’ve got to have a fence and someone needs to know CPR.”
Don’t forget to wear plenty of sunscreen this summer.
Doctor So said sunscreen should be reapplied every two hours and even sooner if your child is swimming and it washes off.
Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, it was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical breakthroughs, including coronary artery bypass surgery and the first face transplant in the United States. Cleveland Clinic is consistently recognized in the U.S. and throughout the world for its expertise and care. Among Cleveland Clinic’s 81,000 employees worldwide are more than 5,743 salaried physicians and researchers, and 20,160 registered nurses and advanced practice providers, representing 140 medical specialties and subspecialties. Cleveland Clinic is a 6,690-bed health system that includes a 173-acre main campus near downtown Cleveland, 23 hospitals, 276 outpatient facilities, including locations in northeast Ohio; Florida; Las Vegas, Nevada; Toronto, Canada; Abu Dhabi, UAE; and London, England. In 2023, there were 13.7 million outpatient encounters, 323,000 hospital admissions and observations, and 301,000 surgeries and procedures throughout Cleveland Clinic’s health system. Patients came for treatment from every state and 132 countries. Visit us at clevelandclinic.org. Follow us at twitter.com/CleClinicNews. News and resources available at newsroom.clevelandclinic.org.
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