Water Safety for Young Children

Drowning is one of the most common causes of death for children under 5. Children can drown in as little as 2.5 cm (1 inch) of water, and many tragedies happen in backyard pools — almost always ones without 4-side fencing and self-closing, self-latching safety gates. Whether around a backyard pool, a lake or a river, caution needs to be practised around water at all times.

Precautions to help protect your children

• Babies who can't sit without support, and are too young for a portable flotation device (PFD), should be held by an adult at all times.
• Toddlers should always be within arm's reach of an adult in or around water — pools, bathtubs, beaches and other water sources.
• Swimming lessons are valuable, but on their own will not protect or prevent a child from drowning.
• All children should be supervised in or around water and never left alone in a pool or bathtub, even for a moment.
• Aim for at least 1 adult per 2 young children, and 1 adult per baby, when supervising water play.

Life jacket or PFD?

A life jacket can turn a person from face-down to face-up in the water; a PFD keeps a person floating, though not necessarily face-up, and is lighter, less bulky, and keeps people warmer since its foam spreads more evenly. Either is fine for your child, as long as it's designed for children — there's no safety standard for very small infants.

• PFDs or life jackets should be worn by all infants weighing at least 9 kg (20 lb), and by toddlers swimming or playing near or in water.
• Check the label for current national safety standards, the right size for your child's weight, and that all safety straps — including the crotch strap — stay fastened.
• Water wings, flotation swimsuits, inflatable wings and other swim toys are not safety devices.

If you have a swimming pool at home

• In-ground or above-ground pools should be fenced on all four sides, with no direct access from a deck, patio or back door (the house doesn't count as a "side"). The fence should be climb-resistant, at least 1.2 m (4 ft) high, with a self-closing, self-latching gate.
• Hot tubs and spas outside the fenced pool area need a locking hard cover, or must be in an area that can be closed and locked.
• Empty toddler and portable backyard pools after each use (at least daily if used every day) — this also reduces mosquito breeding.
• Parents and pool owners should know how to swim and rescue a drowning victim, and maintain first aid and CPR certification. Keep rescue equipment and a phone poolside, with an emergency action plan in place.
• Slide or play equipment should be designed specifically for pool use.

When can my child take swimming lessons?

Research shows children typically don't have the skills to swim on their own until age 4, even with lessons before then, and most children aren't truly competent swimmers until 6 or 7. If your child is younger than 4, look for programmes focused on building water confidence and teaching parents about water safety — a great way to be active together.

Everyday water-safety habits

Use diapers designed for water — they stay lighter than regular ones and are less likely to unbalance your child in a wading pool. Empty buckets, pails, melted-ice chests, or bathtubs as soon as you're finished with them, and don't keep a filled container like a rain barrel around your home unless it's child-resistant and labelled as such. Watch for pools of water collecting under sprinklers — they're slippery — and move the sprinkler often or take a break until the ground drains; use sprinklers on grass only, clear of toys or obstacles. Set up a backyard water slide on a soft, grassy slope, free of bumps and away from trees or shrubs, and teach children to slide sitting down. Keep children away from ponds and streams at any time of year unless you're with them, and be extra cautious of fast currents during spring runoff or after heavy rain.

Swimming pool rules

• No swimming without an adult.
• No running or pushing.
• No food or drinks.
• No riding toys.