Pool and Water Safety

October 5, 2009

Monologue.

Sharon welcomed the listeners and talked about the importance of water in life and life in water. She said that it is imperative for everyone to realize the importance of water, to drink plenty of water and to carry water with them if they are unsure of a water source. Dehydration, or lack of water, is out of control in our world and causes or contributes to ailments from allergies to obesity.

Guest: Geoff Dawson

Geoff Dawson (Orlando, Florida), President, InfantSwim and Certified Infant Swimming Resource (ISR) Instructor. "Teaching Pool Safety to Infants."

Mr. Dawson became interested in pool safety for infants when his own 14 month old child fell into a pool and nearly drowned. Sharon also shared an experience from when her husband managed a large motel and she had to make sure her two young daughters did not drown in the pool so she taught them both to swim at an early age.

Mr. Dawson noted that drowning is the leading cause of infant death in 18 states and is second to automobile accidents in several others. It is also extremely preventable.

It has been documented that with 10 minutes of practice a day, after six weeks, an infant will be able to turn over on their back and float without assistance. His program, InfantSwim, is not a swimming program, however, it is a safety and prevention program. Above all, infants must learn to get their face out of the water and stay at the surface. Most of the time, when in infant who has never been in a pool before fall in, they will neither cry, struggle nor scream.

Childproofing of pools is also critical. No matter how well a child swims, they should be supervised at all times and there should be several layers of pool security, including locked doorways and fences, motion sensors, etc. Teaching pool rules to toddlers also helps.

For more information, go to www.InfantSwim.com.

Categories: Pediatric health; outdoor recreation; 2009