I’ve written posts for Hiccups before on the importance of water safety, but in light of another recent drowning, I’d like to share my personal experience with a program my 3-year-old son is in.

Infant Swimming Resource is a program I found after a user on NewsOK.com posted a comment on a story about a baby drowning a couple of months ago.  Her comment was, “If the family only knew about ISR.”  That comment prompted me to look into this program. 

I went to their Web site, www.infantswim.com,  and watched the videos and read about parents’ experiences with the program.  I have to say, I was instantly impressed.  (Click below to see the video.)

These babies and toddlers weren’t just swimming, they were performing self-rescue skills.  I found an instructor in the Oklahoma City-area using the online locator and got him started in the lessons.

I’ve had my son in swimming lessons before, but have been very disappointed with the results.  He was only swimming with a floatie on or by using a noodle and these give children, and their parents,  a false sense of security.  Children don’t fall into pools with floaties on.  If they did, no child would drown.

What ISR does is look at all aspects of a child.  The program uses many fields of study in their approach – psychology, biology, physiology and anatomy.  And most children go through the program and are skilled in self-rescue swimming in only 4-6 weeks.

When my son started, he had never even been put underwater. He never floated on his own.  He was terrified of going underwater. Now he is in his last week in the program. He can swim underwater, turn to float to get his breath then continue swimming to the side of the pool.  Without the aid of any flotation device.  If you knew my son, you would know this is truly impressive.

The lessons are one-on-one with a highly trained instructor.  Because repetition is key, they are every weekday for the full 4-6 weeks. To prevent water fatigue, the lessons are only 10 minutes long. 

I urge every parent to check out this program.  I am truly impressed with what my son has learned and with the professionalism and knowledge of the instructors.  It’s a small price to pay and small amount of time to spend on preventing the senseless tragedy of losing a child to drowning.

-Erica Smith

esmith@opubco.com

The weather is warming up and that means more children will be playing outside, and at one point or another, that means near or in a pool, pond or lake. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  list drowning as the second-leading cause of unintentional death among children age 1 to 14. Children age 1-3 are at the greatest risk.  90% of drownings occur in residential swimming pools and retention ponds near the home.  Most were last seen in the home and had been out of sight for less than 5 minutes.  The majority were in the care of one or both parents at the time and were not the result of parental negligence. 

Startling statistics, but one thing really stands out to me:  The majority were not the result of parental negligence.  So that means it can happen to you, to me, to our friends and family.  Most of us aren’t negligent parents.  We want to protect our children and we always have the best intentions.  But looking at these statistics, drownings happen under the care of the most responsible parents, in the smallest amount of time, which is why this is such an important  topic.

Steps to prevent drownings include:

1. Barriers. Pool fencing can help prevent children from gaining access to the pool area.  Back yard ponds can also be fenced in or a mesh cover can be used to cover them.  Install a four-sided fence that completely separates the pool or pond from the house and play area of the yard. The fence should be at least 4 feet tall.  Use self-latching gates that open outward, with latches out of children’s reach.

2. Life jackets.  Whether swimming in a pool or at the lake, life jackets are a must.  According to the CDC, in 2006 9 out of 10 who drowned in boating accidents were not wearing a life jacket.  DO NOT use air-filled pool toys as a means for floatation or in place of life jackets.  These are toys, not life-saving devices.

3. Watch. Designate an adult to watch a child in the bathtub, swimming in or playing near any pool or body of water.  Remember, a drowning can happen in less time than it takes to answer the phone.  The designated adult should not be involved in any other activity than watching the child(ren).  That means no mowing the lawn, reading or talking on the phone while having the child(ren) in your care.

4.  Learn CPR.  You are the first responder should a child start drowning. In the time it takes for paramedics to arrive, you can have already saved your child’s life.  The American Red Cross has classes in the metro area year-round. 

5. Learn to swim. Take heed, however, that the American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend this as a primary means of drowning prevention for children younger than 4.  Classes can be taken at the local YMCA, or check your city’s community centers for class offerings.

6. Swim with a buddy.  Make sure older children never swim alone.  Using city pools or parks with lifeguards is also a way to enjoy pool activities with an extra layer of safety.

Let’s keep our children from becoming a tragic statistic this summer.  It’s worth the extra effort to keep them safe so they can enjoy many summers to come.

-Erica Smith, Copy Editor

esmith@opubco.com