Mass. doctor on Fourth of July water safety

OFFICIALLY UNDERWAY AND FOR MANY FAMILIES, THAT MEANS PLENTY OF TIME OUTSIDE WITH THE KIDS, THAT’S FOR SURE. BUT WE KNOW SAFETY IS ALWAYS TOP OF MIND, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE’RE NEAR THE WATER HERE WITH SOME IMPORTANT ADVICE. AS DOCTOR CHRISTOPHER BAUGH WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MEDICINE AT BRIGHAM AND WOMEN’S HOSPITAL. GOOD TO SEE YOU, DOCTOR. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE ON THIS 4TH OF JULY. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. YOU KNOW, WE ALL WANT TO KEEP THINGS SAFE AND FUN. THAT MEANS UNDERSTANDING THAT FOR KIDS, TROUBLE CAN REALLY HAPPEN FAST, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE’RE TALKING ABOUT AROUND THE WATER. RIGHT? THAT’S RIGHT. DROWNING IS THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IN CHILDREN AGES 1 TO 4. AND THAT RISK REMAINS ELEVATED THROUGHOUT LATER CHILDHOOD AS WELL. AND, YOU KNOW, OFTENTIMES CHILDREN WON’T GRAB YOUR ATTENTION WHEN THEY’RE STRUGGLING IN THE WATER. UH, DROWNING IS OFTEN SILENT IN THOSE AGE GROUPS. AND THAT JUST UNDERLINES THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING CONSTANT SUPERVISION WHEN CHILDREN ARE NEAR OR IN BODIES OF WATER. AND THAT COULD INCLUDE VERY SMALL BODIES OF WATER, SUCH AS BACKWATERS, BACKYARD INFLATABLE POOLS, NOT JUST SWIMMING POOLS AND LAKES, OCEANS, ETC. AND SPEAKING OF SUPERVISION, LET’S TALK PREVENTION HERE FOR THIS WEEKEND. AND OF COURSE, BEYOND WHAT ARE THE THREE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS PARENTS SHOULD KNOW? I WOULD SAY, FIRST OF ALL, LEARN TO SWIM AND THAT’S HELPING YOUR CHILDREN GET SWIMMING LESSONS SO THEY CAN SWIM THEMSELVES, BUT ALSO AS AN ADULT WHO MAY BE SUPERVISING A CHILD, MAKING SURE THAT YOU’RE SWIMMING SKILLS ARE GOOD AS WELL. SO THAT YOU CAN STEP IN TO HELP IF NEEDED. THERE ARE MANY FREE STATE AND LOCAL PROGRAMS TO HELP YOU LEARN HOW TO SWIM. SECOND, I WOULD SAY PUT A GATE AROUND POOL OR HOT TUB OR BODY OF WATER NEAR YOUR HOUSE. MOST DROWNINGS HAPPEN IN SWIMMING POOLS, SO THAT’S A GREAT PREVENTION TIP AS WELL. AND THEN IN YOUR OLDER CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS, I WOULD SAY MAKING ALCOHOL A HARD NO AROUND ANY KIND OF SWIMMING ACTIVITIES WILL BE VERY IMPORTANT. UH, MORE THAN HALF OF ALL SWIMMING RELATED DROWNINGS INVOLVE ALCOHOL. YEAH. THAT’S GOOD ADVICE. YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD REMIND PEOPLE THAT YOU SHOULD WATCH YOUR KIDS CLOSELY AFTER THE EVEN HAVE A CLOSE CALL IN THE WATER. WHAT IS DRY? DROWNING. AND WHAT ARE SOME OF THE SIGNS THAT WE SHOULD BE LOOKING FOR? SURE. THAT’S A TERM THAT YOU MIGHT SEE ONLINE. A LOT OF PHYSICIANS MIGHT USE, UH, A PHRASE OF NEAR DROWNING OR MAYBE AN ASPIRATION EVENT THAT’S A TERM FOR WHEN YOU SWALLOW WATER INTO YOUR LUNGS INSTEAD OF INTO YOUR STOMACH. AND WHAT YOU MIGHT SEE AFTER AN EVENT LIKE THAT IS A LOT OF COUGHING OR CHOKING. AND THEN LATER, AFTER THE CHILD IS AWAY FROM THE WATER, YOU MIGHT SEE PERSISTENT COUGHING, RESPIRATORY DISTRESS, A HIGHER RESPIRATORY RATE, BREATHING WITH, UH, A FASTER RATE. UH, IT MAY BE EVEN A CHANGE IN COLOR OR VOMITING. AND SO IF YOU START SEEING THOSE MANIFESTATIONS OF WATER GOING INTO THE WRONG PLACE INTO THE LUNGS, THAT WOULD BE AN INDICATION THAT HAVING THAT CHILD EVALUATED BY A PHYSICIAN WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA. YEAH, THINGS CAN GET DANGEROUS AND OUT OF HAND FAST. THANK YOU FOR ALL