One of the leading causes of death for toddlers and young children is drowning. Read these simple tips to find out how to protect your children near the water and give yourself peace of mind.

• Never leave your young child alone in or near a filled bathtub, a pail of water, swimming pool, kiddie pool, pet’s water dish, or open toilet, even for a moment while you answer the phone or door. That’s all the time it takes for a child to drown, and drowning is a leading cause of death for toddlers and young children.

• Teach your child to swim as soon as he is able and he is comfortable with the water. Keep in mind that knowing how to swim does not guarantee that your child is safe.

• Never rely on an inflatable swimming aide as a guarantee that your child will be safe.

• Empty all water out of a kiddie pool when you are done with it and then turn the pool upside down or deflate it.

• Teach your child water safety and make sure an adult in or near the water supervises him at all times.

• Have your child use the buddy system when swimming or playing at the beach. Dress him in a bright bathing suit that you can easily identify in a crowd at the beach, a lake, or a pool.

• Never let your child swim in fast-moving water.

• Teach your child never to dive into water unless the depth is marked or has been checked by an adult. Instead, ask him to enter the water feet first.

• Warn your child about the risks of drowning during the winter by falling through ice on a pond or other body of water.

HOME POOL

• Surround your pool with a high fence that does not allow direct access from your home. Do not allow children to play in this gated area.

• Make sure your pool area has a self-locking gate high enough that your child cannot reach the latch. A spring-hinged gate that swings closed and locks automatically will ensure that your gate is never accidentally left open.

• Put an alarm or bell on your pool gate to alert you when someone enters the pool area.

• If your pool is above the ground, remove or raise and lock the ladder. Do not leave furniture nearby that could be used to climb into the pool area.

• Surround the pool with a non-skid surface. Even the best-behaved child sometimes runs, and this is extremely dangerous on wet, slippery surfaces.

• Make sure your pool has proper chlorine levels, and do not allow your child to swim in your pool immediately after the chlorine has been added.

• Remove floats and toys from the pool and pool area when the pool is not in use. Do not leave toys or items that will tempt a child in the pool area when it is unattended.

• Keep rescue equipment, such as a shepherd’s hook or life preserver, and a telephone by the pool.

• Keep the pool area well lit at night.

• Do not assume that your pool is safe because you have installed a pool cover. Consider the cover an added safety precaution for the months that the pool is not in use, but keep the pool area locked and remain vigilant.

• Learn how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on infants and young children. Have your babysitter learn as well.

• Keep all electric appliances out of the pool area. If you have electric outlets in your outdoor pool area, invest in ground-fault circuit interrupters.

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