Swimming is a favorite summertime activity for kids, and while there’s no better way to cool off on a hot day, being in the water can be risky. According to the CDC, drowning is the leading cause of death for kids between one and four years old. But as Dr. Niky, a board-certified pediatrician and mother of three kids under age six, recently reminded her TikTok followers, “drowning is 100% preventable.”
One thing parents may not realize is that some pool toys and flotation devices actually raise the risk of drowning in small kids. “Unsafe swimming aids ... can provide a false sense of security and may not keep a child’s head above water,” explains Bernard Fisher, director of health and safety at the American Lifeguard Association. “These devices are not substitutes for lifejackets and should be avoided.”
Pediatrician parents with young kids of their own are sharing the pool toys they don’t let their kids use in order to keep them safe.
- Water wings - Also known as swimmies or arm floaties, they’re those inflatable bands that go around a child’s upper arms and experts say they’re unsafe for several reasons. For one, they can easily slip off or deflate, which can lead to the child being stuck with their arms out of the water and their face under. Water wings also keep kids in an upright position in the water, so they’re not learning to swim properly and that can raise the risk of drowning. Swim vests are similar, but also have a part that wraps around the child’s chest, and are also unsafe, as both types of devices give kids a false sense of security, and they may jump in the pool thinking they can swim.
- Neck floaties - These are plastic tubes that go around the child’s neck, but they don’t prevent drowning and kids could risk suffocation while wearing one.
- Mermaid tails - “Please do not put anything on your child that confines their legs or their arms in any way,” Dr. Niky warns, adding that kids need to be able to move all four limbs to swim safely.
Source: Today
Scott's Thoughts:
- Toddlers are fearless, even in the pool, so why take that risk?
- Gosh. I used these toys with my kids. Thankfully they swam like fish.
- When my kids were little they were only in the pool if I was with them.