How can I keep my kids safe around pools?

Sure, pools are a blast. But anyone with young children knows there are serious risks involved with water play. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), drowning is the leading unintentional cause of death for children ages 1 to 4, a startling statistic that warrants serious parental caution.

“Preventative measures, including the presence of a trained lifeguard along with proper supervision can drastically reduce the swimmer’s risk of drowning,” says Carey Goltzman, MD, Chief of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital. The CPSC and the American Red Cross recommend parents assign one adult to supervise children swimming at gatherings, remove pool toys from the water after use so as not to entice children back into the water, lock doors that lead from the house to the pool, require weak swimmers to wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life vest, and learn CPR and first-aid.

To learn more about, visit www.mariafarerichildrens.org.