Doc Talk: Water safety tips for your kids
In our weekly feature, 'Doc Talk,' Dr. Michael Allshouse from Valley Children's Hospital discusses water safety for your children.
According to Dr. Allshouse, most drownings are of children under five years old. He says 75-80% of child drownings occur in home pools, while the remaining happen in lakes, rivers, canals, and buckets.
Dr. Allshouse says big family gatherings, such as summer parties, are a cause for distractions, leading to the drowning of young children. He recommends having designated watchers, meaning no cell phones, at your parties.
More children die in California from drowning than in road traffic accidents, so it's important to keep a close watch. SB 442 passed requiring more stringent safety barriers for new construction home pools.
