The National Drowning Prevention Alliance, ( NDPA) was alerted to a video that went viral on TikTok. They are sending a warning message to parents.
The video is titled “Parenting hack” and shows a mother placing a child’s playpen into a pool or lake. This allows both parents and children to have fun in the water without worrying about their little ones.
@niky.mamamd There is only one pool/water hack: always be with your child when they’re in or around water. #pediatrician#poolsafety#poolsafetytips#summersafety#kidsafety Original sound – Niky.mamaMD
As Americans prepare for the busiest season of water sports in the United States, NDPA warns parents not to follow this dangerous and irresponsible advice.
Adam Katchmarchi Ph.D. said Executive Director of NDPA: “We urge all parents to ignore this message and not place playpens in any bodies of water. This is not recommended water safety and could increase the risk of a drowning for a child.
NDPA suggests that you adhere to the five layers of protection in order to keep your child safe. Katchmarchi added, “Drowning can occur in less than 30 seconds and without sound.” If the five layers of safety are not implemented, backyard pools, ponds and a variety of man-made and natural water features around homes can become dangerous.
The Five Layers of Protection were developed by NDPA, with input from pediatricians and aquatics educators, based on the best practices for drowning prevention. They include barriers and alarms to prevent drowning, supervision, water competence, use of approved floatation device and lifejackets, as well as emergency preparedness. It is important to remember that no one technique should be used alone. Visit NDPA.org/Layers to learn more about drowning prevention.
According to the CDC, drowning is the leading cause for death in children ages 1-4 and the second-leading cause of injury related death in children under the age of 14. Reports from towns and cities across the U.S. show that childhood drowning rates are steadily increasing since 2019. In 2021, there were 11 school buses full of children drowning. That’s almost 18 children every week. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that for each child drowning death, seven other children receive emergency room care for a non fatal drowning.
National Drowning Prevention Alliance NDPA’s mission is to “Elevate awareness to educate and advocate for drowning prevention, as well as innovate and equip people to do so.” NDPA aims to reduce drowning deaths by creating a united front to tackle the leading cause of child death in the age group of 1 to 4 years. For more information, please visit ndpa.org.
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