Parents need to be on guard against children 'drowning on dry land'

Parents may not see their child inhale water. Therefore, it is important to recognize the signs of 'dry drowning' and 'secondary drowning'.

Dry drowning is dangerous but completely preventable - Photo: Shutterstock

Common signs of dry drowning as well as secondary drowning include labored breathing, frequent coughing, vomiting, unusual behavior or becoming very sleepy.

What to do when a child shows signs of drowning on dry land?

When seeing these signs in your child after swimming, parents should take their child to the emergency room immediately, even if the child has received first aid from a professional lifeguard, according to Dr. Danelle Fisher, associate director of pediatrics at Providence Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California, USA.

At the hospital, your child will have a chest X-ray, receive fluids, and be monitored for signs of respiratory failure or lung damage.

In severe cases, the child will need special care and may even need to use a breathing tube for a while.

Most importantly, Dr. Fisher wants parents to know that "dry drowning" is often overlooked because most people only care about drowning and few think that a child who has reached shore safely could be in danger.

"When parents see their children lying down after swimming, they often think they are tired from swimming too much or from the sun. How many people think that a child drowned on land?

The scariest moment is when a child drowns on land, which can happen 24 hours after inhaling water.

Even more frightening is that dry drowning can happen while a child is napping or sleeping at night. Why? Because water in the lungs can cause vomiting, followed by choking," the doctor said.

Precautions

According to doctors and experts, dry drowning can be prevented by taking appropriate water precautions. These include:

- Always supervise your child when he or she is in water or playing near ponds, lakes, bathtubs...

- Only let children swim in areas with lifeguards.

- If you have a swimming pool, you should install a fence around the pool.

- Don't let your child swim alone.

- Pay attention to safety when boating: always wear a life jacket when boating regardless of whether you are an adult or a child.

- Take your child to swimming lessons and water safety classes (children over 4 years old should learn to swim).

- In addition, parents and caregivers should know how to perform CPR (a combination of chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation).

- For older children, teach them about dry drowning so that they can protect themselves from risks and recognize unusual signs of the body so they can promptly notify their parents.

"Accidents can happen to your child at any time. Dry drownings can happen in just a few seconds. So keep a close eye on your child," WebMD quoted Dr. Fisher as saying.

According to TTO