Monday, May 18, 2026
With Memorial Day weekend ahead, pediatricians are urging families to plan for water safety now
Drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 4 and the second leading cause for kids 5 to 14.
It happens fast and silently, often within sight of a trusted adult.
The good news: when families layer protections — close adult supervision, four-sided pool fencing, swim lessons, and Coast Guard-approved life jackets — the risk drops dramatically.
At pool parties and beach outings, assign one sober adult whose only job is to watch the water for 15-minute shifts. Phones down, eyes up.
Only U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets reliably keep a child's face above water. Inflatable toys can slip off or deflate without warning.
The AAP supports starting formal swim lessons around age 1 for many children. Lessons can cut drowning risk in young kids by up to 88 percent.
Use broad-spectrum SPF 30+ sunscreen, reapply every two hours and after swimming, and seek shade between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. when the sun is strongest.
A drowning child rarely splashes or yells. Look for a vertical body position, head tilted back, and silence. If something feels off, get them out fast.
The two weeks before Memorial Day are the highest-yield window for water-safety counseling. Consider adding a quick layered-protection checklist to well-child visits for ages 1 to 6 — supervision, fencing, swim lessons, life jackets, CPR — and share it via your patient portal. A 60-second handout consistently outperforms verbal counseling alone for parent recall.
Source: AAP injury prevention recommendations
