‘Touch supervision’ recommended to prevent child drowning

Drowning is a leading cause of death among children, toddlers and infants. Near drowning, while not fatal, may result in injury to the lungs, heart and brain. Dr. Victoria Riley, pediatric hospitalist at Manatee Memorial Hospital, wants everyone to know that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends “touch supervision”: meaning that a supervising adult should be within an arm’s length of a child with attention focused on the child at all times when a child is in or near water. The supervising adult should not be distracted by other activities, such as talking on a phone, socializing, or performing household chores.

During a drowning, there is initial panic as a child struggles to get out of the water. While still under the water the child will accumulate carbon dioxide, the gas that stimulates us to breathe. As it accumulates, the struggling child will involuntarily take a breath. When water reaches the airway either the struggling child will cough or swallow water. This causes throat spasms sealing off the path to the lungs. With the airway closed, water flows to the stomach. The throat relaxes as the child becomes unconscious, causing water to fill the lungs. A child’s lungs are smaller than an adult’s lungs which makes them so much more vulnerable.

You may have seen shows that depict someone drowning. They are portrayed as splashing wildly, yelling for help. In real life drowning can be silent and quick. It can take as little as 30 seconds for it to occur. Since the body’s primary need is oxygen a drowning child cannot call out for help. The child may be pushing at the water, which can look like playing, as they struggle to get to the top. There should always be a designated “child watcher” who is present when children are in any body of water.

Swimming pools are where toddlers and children are most likely to drown. Babies are at risk for drowning in bathtubs, toilets and buckets of water.

We must remain supremely diligent to keep our children from drowning.

If ever your child should be submerged under water and come up coughing you need to know, even though he or she didn’t drown, they may still have inhaled water into their lungs. This is called secondary drowning. If your child has any of following symptoms you should come to the emergency room: coughing, trouble breathing, sudden fatigue, vomiting, fever, irritable mood, confusion, difficulty talking. Any of those symptoms may be a sign of secondary drowning. Your child would need an X-ray to determine if there is fluid in their lungs. These symptoms can occur up to 24 hours after a “near” drowning event.

Dry drowning is another danger if someone has experienced a time of panic in the water. This term is used when water has entered the larynx but has not gotten to the lungs. The water can cause spasms that lead to the larynx closing down and causing suffocation.

Any person who has had to be rescued from water should be seen in an emergency room and evaluated.

To prevent drowning respect the necessity of touch supervision, a designated adult who exclusively is a child watcher, swimming lessons, and a respect for all bodies of water.

This column is dedicated to the memory of Grant Fieldon Brown who tragically drowned while under the supervision of non-watchful eyes.

This story was originally published June 26, 2017 at 4:47 PM with the headline "‘Touch supervision’ recommended to prevent child drowning."