The 13th Annual National Safe Kids Week is May 6-13 and this year, Safe Kids Worldwide is raising awareness for safe pools and spas. Safe Kids research shows that approximately 50 percent of parents are not aware of the danger of entrapment and entanglement that can occur when a child’s body becomes attached to a drain because of the powerful suction of a pool or spa’s filtration system.
Pool and spa entrapment and entanglement occurs when part of a child’s body becomes attached to a drain because of the powerful suction of a pool or spa’s filtration system. Death or serious injury can occur when the force of the suction overpowers the child’s ability to disengage. Entrapment deaths can also occur when a child’s hair or swimsuit gets tangled in the drain or on an underwater object, such as a ladder.
Drowning is the number two accidental injury-related killer of children ages one to 14, and the leading cause of accidental injury-related death among kids ages one to four. Nearly nine out of 10 drowning-related deaths happen while the child is under some form of supervision, according to a Safe Kids Worldwide study.
For more information, go to www.safekids.org.
