Drowning Rates for Children on the Decline, Swimtastic Swim School Spreads the Word

May 23, 2012 - PRLog -- May marks the beginning of nice weather and outdoor activities; once the weather warms up children start to spend more and more time outside. May is also National Drowning Prevention Month. National Drowning Prevention Month is a way to raise awareness of the dangers of drowning, and what can be done to make sure it never happens to your loved ones. According to the National Drowning Prevention Alliance, currently drowning is the second leading cause of deaths due to unintentional injury for children in the United States. For every one child who passes away due to drowning, 2 more are hospitalized with injuries due to drowning. Many times those injuries are quite severe. While that statistic is alarming, the good news is that drowning is on the decline. More and more families across the U.S. are learning about the very real and life-threatening dangers of drowning. In turn, they're taking action by enrolling their children in swim lessons and making it a point to keep constant supervison on their children while they're in and around any body of water, no matter how small. This is proving to be a large contributing factor to the reduction in drowning rates.

2 primary factors lead to this decline. First off is improved supervision. As part of National Drowning Prevention month the National Drowning Prevention Alliance stresses the importance of never leaving your children unsupervised in the water, even if it’s for a very short amount of time. Results are being seen thanks to the water safety efforts of the National Drowning Prevention Alliance and local swim schools around the nation. As parents become more aware of the threat of drowning, supervision has been on the increase.

The second factor is an increase in children enrolled in swim lessons. A proven statistic shows that swim lessons reduce the risk of drowning by 88%. An increase in parents registering their children in swim classes early in life has aided in this reduction in drowning rates. This especially shows in young children ages 1 through 4. This age group is more likely to drown when uneducated, either while bathing or from falling into bodies of water such as pools. Parents can start enrolling their little ones in swim classes as early as six months old. One advantage of starting so young is it instills a love for the water as well as the importance of water safety in children early in life. It is also important for parents to continue to enroll their children in lessons as they grow older. Continuous enrollment in lessons results in happy, safe swimmers.

As the month of May is the official drowning prevention and awareness month, it's vital for families to be aware of the dangers of drownings throughout the entire year. Summer of course equates to more pools, lakes, and beaches, but it is important to remember that drownings can still occur in something as simple as a bathtub. Drowning is preventable, and children who have received swim lessons and have learned about the dangers of drowning are better protected. Make sure you educate children about the dangers of drowning and enroll them in swim classes to help keep them safe.

More Information

Swimtastic® Swim School, based in Waukesha, Wis., was founded in 1996 by child educator and swim expert, Susan Wainscott. Swimtastic, a leader in the learn-to-swim industry, has received numerous honors for its innovative curriculum, professionally trained teachers and child-friendly pool environment. Each year, thousands of children and adults learn to swim and gain the foundation of a lifetime- a love for water activities with Swimtastic. For more information, visit http://www.swimtastic.com.