Child Safety
Garden pond dangerPress Release 807, 17/07/2008

Experts warn of garden pond dangerChild health specialists at Leicester's hospitals are pleading for parents to be vigilant with small children following a spate of drownings. In the last four months the accident and emergency unit and children's intensive care unit at Leicester Royal Infirmary have dealt with five accidents where young children have fallen into garden ponds, three of which have died. This represents half the annual national average.The unit are concerned this trend could rise through the summer as children begin their school holidays.James McClean, matron for the children's intensive care unit at Leicester's hospitals, said: "Small children can drown in just a few centimetres of water. "Over the last few months we have seen the results of these accidents. We've seen five children come into our hospital and three have tragically died. We see the devastation that it leads to for families and it is heartbreaking for the nursing staff in intensive care and all the staff, particularly because it is potentially avoidable."All parents know that once children are crawling or walking they are into everything and naturally curious about everything with no idea of the dangers. This is why it is vitally important that parents take adequate precautions and never leave small children alone near water, even for a minute."The children treated for drowning ranged in age from small toddlers up to six. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) estimates around five children drown in garden ponds each year across England.The society recorded 58 children under the age of six drowned after falling into garden ponds between 1995 and 2005. Children aged one to two are most at risk.David Walker, from RoSPA, said: "Sadly, every year we hear of children drowning in garden ponds or other enclosures of water in the garden, such as swimming or paddling pools or water butts, and sometimes these incidents happen after a child has strayed into a neighbour's garden. Children under six-years-old are particularly at risk because they can easily get into the water, but often cannot get themselves out again."Our advice to parents is to look around the garden from a child's perspective to see if there are enclosures of water that they could climb or fall into. Then consider how best to isolate these items. We recommend filling in a pond while the children are young or, if this isn't possible, covering it with a rigid grille."However, it is crucial to remember that supervision is the most effective way of preventing accidents to young children. We have heard of cases where parents have been temporarily distracted, for example by a telephone call or in a party-type environment, and a child has wandered away and got into difficulties in water. "As children get older, teach them about water safety, and, as a parent, make sure you know what to do in an emergency and have learnt some first aid."