We’ve just learned of some very sad news: on June 30, the 2½ year old son of former NFL quarterback Randall Cunnungham died after drowning in the hot tub of the family’s backyard. There are many reports of accidental drownings especially during the summer months; in Phoenix, there have already been 5 fatalities. What you may not hear as often as pool safety is hot tub safety, so we’d like to share some information and drowning prevention tips specific to owners of hot tubs:
•An average of about 17 kids under age 5 drown in spas each year, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Approximately 70% of child drownings occur even though one or both parents are nearby, according to the commission.
•Hot tubs pose a number of safety dangers for kids, experts say. To prevent drowning, people should install a fence, gate or barrier around the hot tub area, and keep tubs covered and locked when not in use, according to Nationwide Children's Hospital's Center for Injury Research and Policy in Columbus, Ohio.
•Children should not be allowed in hot tubs at all, the center's experts suggest. That's because children have thinner skins than adults, so they burn more quickly and at lower temperatures. Kids' bodies also heat up three to five times faster than adults', according to Safe Kids USA.
•To prevent falls -- the most common cause of hot tub-related injury, people should place slip-resistant mats around it. People also should cover suction drains with covers that meet new federal standards that took effect in 2008.
(From USA Today)
Kidtastics urges you to read our other posts regarding water safety and ensure that your child develops the skills necessary to stay safe in and around water. If you have yet to sign up for one of our upcoming semesters of swimming lessons, there are still spots available. Please call us at 480-994-KIDS(5437) to enroll.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Cunningham family.
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