Every year in Italy there are approximately 400 deaths due to drowning, of which approximately 40 (10%) are minors.. Over the past 10 years, approximately 80 children and teenagers have arrived at the emergency rooms of the Bambino Gesù hospital in Rome as victims of bathing accidents. The IRCCS pediatric center in the capital recalls this, in view of the World Day for the Prevention of Drowning established by the United Nations and scheduled for Thursday, July 25. On this occasion, the experts relaunch the recommendations to avoid the repetition of these tragedies: “Surveillance, prevention and compliance with the rules are the 3 most important factors to avoid dangerous accidents”says Sebastian Cristaldi, head of the second level Dea at Bambino Gesù.
According to data on the causes of mortality published by Istat – the hospital reports – in a decade in Italy 3,760 people have died from drowning. Of these, 429 were children and young people (about 43 each year). In Lazio the average number of deaths from drowning was 16 per year. In the whole of Central Italy 55 minors died between 2012 and 2021. According to the report published by the Observatory for the development of a national strategy for the prevention of drownings and accidents in bathing waters of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità, every year in our country there are 800 hospitalizations for drowning, about 60 thousand rescues (only on the beaches) and more than 600 thousand prevention interventions by lifeguards. In the emergency rooms of the Gianicolo and Palidoro branches of Bambino Gesù, in the last 10 years (2014-2023) there have been 76 visits for non-fatal drowning, specifies the IRCCS. Of these, 69 subsequently required urgent hospitalization. Almost half of the visits (36 out of 76) occurred in the last 3 years.
“There Prevention is the first rule to follow to drastically reduce the risk of drowning of children and young people – explain the hospital – thus avoiding possible tragic consequences. It is therefore necessary to eliminate uncontrolled access to water through the correct use of physical barriers. Doors and gates that lead directly to the sea or to the swimming pool must be kept closed. Where they are not present, barriers must be installed to prevent access to unaccompanied children. The swimming pool must always be covered with the appropriate sheet during the periods of the year in which it is not used. Controlling the temperature of the water is another aspect of prevention: the sea and swimming pool water must not be too cold, as it can cause episodes of vasoconstriction and increase the risk of feeling ill or fainting. It is also important to use armbands and rings that help children stay afloat. Even more important is to familiarize children with water from 6 months of age, so that they can start swimming lessons as early as 2-3 years of age”.
“The most effective form of prevention when it comes to children remains the surveillance – Cristaldi highlights – Surveillance, however, does not only mean never losing sight of children when they are near or in the water: it also means staying close to them – he specifies – so as to be able to intervene promptly in case of unforeseen events. All it takes is a minute of distraction, such as a short phone call, to lose sight of the child who, diving, is unable to ask for help”. Furthermore, “in the first 3 years of life – warn the experts of Bambino Gesù – a child can find himself in difficulty even in a few centimetres of water, such as those of a bathtub or a small inflatable pool. At least up to 5-6 years of life, at the seaside or in the swimming pool, the presence of the parent must always be in the water. Even older children must not be lost sight of, because they can be dragged under water by a wave or an undertow”.
Crucial then is the respect for the rules and adults must set a good example. “You can’t bathe anywhere there is water: river, lake, sea – warns Cristaldi – There are rules indicated by special signs that prohibit bathing in certain places. These limitations were made for safety reasons. And they must be respected. Even by adults and especially in the presence of children who often learn through imitation. If an adult respects the rules, the child will too”.
Finally, pay attention to the false securities: “The fact that a child lives in a house or condominium with a swimming pool or grows up near the sea means that he or she will be more familiar with the aquatic element, but it does not mean that he or she is well aware of the risks. Respecting the signs is essential to reduce the risk of drowning. For this reason, it would be important for the signs to be designed in such a way that they are immediately understandable even by the youngest children, and also from a stylistic and chromatic point of view”.
But what to do in the event of drowning, if despite precautions and attention an episode occurs? First, “it is essential to intervene promptly – the experts of Bambino Gesù point out – throwing into the water any floating object to which the child can cling. Water rescue must be carried out by skilled swimmers, because otherwise the life of the rescuer would also be put in danger”.
Second suggestion: “Once you have managed to bring the child to shore, if the general conditions are good, he can be placed in a sitting position and asked to cough. If he has signs of asphyxiation, you should ask for help from someone who can quickly clear the airways of anything that could obstruct them (vomit, sand or algae), also performing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation if necessary.”
Third: “If the child does not recover, is unconscious, is not breathing or you cannot feel his pulse, you must immediately request the intervention of professionally qualified people capable of performing the necessary cardiopulmonary resuscitation maneuvers.”
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