Hitting the pool or beach this summer with your niece or nephew can be a blast. But don’t let it turn to tragedy, be savvy about the dangers you need to watch out for.

Water can be a serious hazard for young children so never leave kids unattended or take your attention off them—not even for a minute to answer your cell. Most people have the misconception that they will hear thrashing and splashing if a child gets into trouble. Not true, drowning is a silent death. Kids can just quietly slip under the water.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it's the leading cause of death in kids under age of 4. The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) says for every child who drowns, 10 children are treated in ER for near drowning, which can result in serious injuries such as brain damage.

The surf can be dangerous too. Never overestimate your or your niece and nephew’s swimming ability. Try to swim near guard towers or only in designated areas. Obey signs and warnings about things such as rip currents. If you find yourself unable to swim back onto shore you may be caught in a rip current. Rip currents run perpendicular to the shoreline and are usually not very wide so swim parallel to shore for a short distance to try to swim out of it.

Summer sun can be a problem, especially for young skin. Try to avoid peak sun hours if possible (10am-3pm). Use at least SPF 30 or higher. However, don’t get a false sense of security—with higher SPFs, you need to continually re-apply after swimming and sweating. Cover up as much as possible, with a hat and special UV protective swimwear and clothing, since a wet tee shirt only has an SPF of 3. Use a lot of sunscreen, about one ounce per application–one bottle should not last all summer!
 
Lastly, some pools and beaches can have germs lurking such as E coli. Fresh water pools and water parks can have E coli outbreaks. Causes can be from kids in diapers or people who come to the pool sick with diarrhea. Sometimes there is not enough chlorine to kill the bacteria especially if the pool has other debris in it such as leaves. Sand at the beach can have the same contaminated germs. Things you can do to prevent getting sick are to make sure you shower well after the beach or pool and not just with water, use soap. Don’t let young children put sand in their mouths or drink pool water. If you have diarrhea and you are sick don’t go to a beach, water park or pool. Always use good hygiene: never change diapers poolside and make sure after using the bathroom to wash well with soap and water.

Being smart and savvy to potential summer problems will ensure many days of fun in the sun!

Published: May 30, 2011