You pay close attention to your children when they swim or play in the pool or splash in the ocean. You make sure there is a lifeguard on duty and you never leave your little ones alone near water, not even in the bathtub. And that’s the right thing to do. But there’s more you can do to keep them safe: Learn the signs of danger after they’re out of the water and what to do.
Health experts define drowning as difficulty breathing after water enters your airways. Sometimes this happens while swimming or bathing. But it could be from something as simple as getting water in your mouth or being dunked.
Although it can be fatal, this is not always the case. You can survive a drowning if you get help right away.
You may have heard the terms “dry drowning” and “secondary drowning.” Those aren’t actually medical terms. But they do point out rare complications that you should be aware of and that are more common in children.
In so-called dry drowning, water never reaches the lungs. Instead, inhaling water causes your child’s vocal cords to spasm and close. That closes off their airways, making it difficult to breathe. You would notice these signs right away; it wouldn’t fall out of the sky a few days later.
“Secondary drowning” is another term people use to describe another drowning complication. It happens when water enters the lungs. There it can irritate the lining of the lungs and fluid can build up, causing a condition called pulmonary edema. You will probably notice right away that your child is having trouble breathing, and it may get worse over the next 24 hours.
Both events are very rare. They make up only 1% to 2% of all drownings, says pediatrician James Orlowski, MD, of Florida Hospital Tampa.
Complications of drowning can include:
Your child may also show behavioral changes, such as irritability or a drop in energy levels, which may mean the brain is not getting enough oxygen.
If your child has trouble breathing after getting out of the water, seek medical attention. Although in most cases the symptoms disappear on their own, it is important to have them investigated.
“The most likely course is for symptoms to be relatively mild and improve over time,” says Mark Reiter, MD, past president of the American Academy of Emergency Medicine.
Any problems that develop are usually treatable if you get medical care right away. Your job is to monitor your child closely for 24 hours after he or she has had trouble in the water.
If symptoms do not go away or get worse, take your child to the emergency room and not to your pediatrician’s office. “Your child will need a chest X-ray and an IV and should be admitted for observation,” says Raymond Pitetti, MD, associate professor of the emergency department at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. “That’s not possible in an office.”
If your child needs to stay in hospital, they will probably receive ‘supportive care’. This means that doctors check the airways and monitor oxygen levels. If your child has severe breathing problems, he may need to use a breathing tube for a while.
The most important thing you can do is help prevent drowning in the first place.
- Always keep a close eye on your child when they are in or around the water.
- Allow swimming only in areas with lifeguards.
- Never let your child swim alone.
- Never leave your baby alone near any body of water, even in your home.
Sign yourself and your children up for water safety classes. There are even programs that introduce children from 6 months to 3 years to the water.
If you have a swimming pool at your home, make sure it is completely fenced.
Teens are more likely to experience drowning incidents related to drugs and alcohol, so teach your children about the risks, says Mike Gittelman, MD, co-director of the Comprehensive Children’s Injury Center at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.
Don’t let your guard down, even if the water is not deep. Drowning can occur in any type of water: bathtubs, toilet bowls, ponds or small plastic swimming pools.
“Water safety is by far the most important thing,” says Reiter.
