Summer Safety Information for Parents

The official start of summer is just a few days away but for many kids across the country the swimming season is already in full swing. 

If your children turn part fish during the summer months be warned—a new government report shows more children are drowning in swimming pools and spas than ever before.

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, an estimated 320 children under the age of 5 died in pool and spa incidents in 2005, the latest year for which the agency had information available. That is 75 more deaths than in 2004.

The report shows that children between the ages of 1 and 2 accounted for the majority of deaths.  The study also found that drownings occurred most often when children were in the water without an adult present.

Another startling revelation was the high number of deaths and injuries that resulted when a pool drain’s suction pulled down a child’s body or a limb or when the child’s hair became entangled in the drain. The report was issued five months after President Bush signed into law a ban on the sale or distribution of drain covers that don’t meet anti-entrapment safety standards.

Regardless of whether your children spend time in a pool this summer they will no doubt be enjoying the great outdoors in some capacity.  When they are outside they should be slathered with sunscreen, according to health experts.

Doctors say you can decrease your children’s chances of skin cancer by properly applying adequate sunscreen.  Medical experts also note that if caught early, skin cancer is very treatable, but research shows it might also be a pre-cursor to another kind of cancer.

A new study recently found that skin tumors might be a sign that a patient has a hereditary cancer syndrome.  Earlier this year scientists discovered a link between skin cancer and the risk of colorectal cancer and they may be able to use one to help prevent the other. In the yearlong study doctors found 6 out of 10 patients with colorectal cancer actually had skin cancer first, often years earlier.

Experts say if you have a history of cancer in your family especially skin cancer and colorectal cancer you may want to talk to a genetic counselor.

See Also:

West Nile Virus: Are Your Children at Risk?
Protecting Your Family from Bug Bites