Multiple layers of protection are critical to prevent drowning deaths among children, the American Academy of Pediatrics said in a new policy statement.Those methods include functional barriers, effective supervision, water competence, and early rescue and resuscitation of drowning victims.A policy statement and technical report replace previous guidance issued in 2019 and reaffirmed in 2024.
Drowning remains the leading cause of death among 1- to 4-year-olds, and a multi-layered approach to prevention is necessary, according to a new policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
Those methods include functional barriers, effective supervision, water competence, and early rescue and resuscitation of drowning victims, according to Rohit Shenoi, MD, of Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, and colleagues from the AAP Council on Injury, Violence, and Poison Prevention.
Shenoi and colleagues also issued a technical report on prevention of pediatric drowning. Both documents were published online in Pediatrics.
The reports -- which include evidence-based recommendations for clinicians, families, community partners, injury prevention professionals, and policymakers -- replace previous guidance issued in 2019 and reaffirmed in 2024.
