Portable pools pose a drowning hazard too
Swimming pools are a well-known hazard for young children, and fences around in-ground pools are now known as a must-have. But just because a pool is portable doesn’t mean it’s safe. So-called kiddie pools pose a risk too.
These pools -- which include wading pools, inflatable pools and “soft-sided, self-rising pools” -- aren’t the same as traditional above-ground pools or in-ground pools simply because they’re so movable. That playful element belies their danger.
A new study finds that 209 children died between 2001 and 2009 from drowning in portable pools -- about one child every five days during the summer months, according to a Reuters article.
Almost all of the reported deaths were among children younger than 5 years old. Most of the drownings were in the summer, and about three-fourths of the time the pool was in the child’s own yard. In cases in which supervision or the lack thereof could be documented, 39% of the incidents were unsupervised.
Even the most shallow kiddie pools can be drowning sites. The study found that 29 deaths were in a wading pool with a depth anywhere from a couple of inches to 2 feet.
The results, compiled from data from the Consumer Product Safety Commission, were published online Monday in Pediatrics.
The researchers advise parents to take similar safety precautions around kiddie pools as in-ground pools. If isolation fencing, at least 4 feet high and self-closing, were in place, at least 48 of the drownings could have been prevented, they write.
The problem is, such precautions can cost more than the pool -- and economy is a major selling point for portable pools in the first place.
The authors conclude:
“Industry is advised to develop affordable and effective products to decrease this risk, including isolation fencing, safety covers, and alarms for portable pools.”
And they add, of course, that parents should be well-informed about the risks and keep close watch.
RELATED: More news from HealthKey
