Summer Safety at the Swimming Pool

Each year the weather gets warmer and the swimming pools open up. Looking for relief from the heat and a break from indoor activities, parents and babysitters take children to the swimming pool. While swimming is a great way to exercise, have fun, and to cool off, there are dangers in the water that most people do not recognize. Below are some tips to make your next trip to the swimming pool a safe one.

• Discuss with your children the fact that they should not drink the water in the pool. It is best for them to keep their mouths and eyes closed when swimming underwater. While the most recognized concern is other children who urinate and even defecate in the water, there are other micro-organisms to be concerned about. Because the eyes, nose, and mouth have mucous membranes, they are an easy way for these micro-organisms to enter your body. This is another great reason that children and adults should wash their hands on a regular basis.

• If your child complains of being cold, is shivering, has chattering teeth, or is visibly paler than usual or blue, it is time to get them out of the water. Often times the air around us may be very hot in the summer, but the water in the swimming pool has not warmed up enough to prevent shock. Please do not tell your child to keep swimming in order to warm up. This will endanger their life. Instead, if you see those signs and symptoms, get them out of the pool and warm them up slowly. (Rapid warming can cause heart problems.) Place towels or an emergency blanket around them. Sit them in the sun instead of the shade.

• Another risk factor includes dehydration. Make sure that your child has adequate clean drinking water. Being in the sun and exercising in the pool can cause them to become dehydrated. Encourage them to keep sipping on water while playing, not just at the pool, but anytime. If your child doesn’t care for water, give them a solution of fruit juice that has been mixed with water; aim for a 50/50 ratio. This will help keep them hydrated in the hotter seasons.