Thousands of Kids Hurt While Diving Each Year
Thousands of Kids Hurt While Diving Each Year
In the few remaining weeks before summer comes to an all-too-soon end, kids and teens will undoubtedly cram in as much swimming as they can. But, as a new study shows, a fun day cooling off can quickly turn into a trip to the ER when a dive into the water goes wrong.
In the first nationwide study to look at diving-related injuries in kids and teens, researchers sifted through 17 years of emergency room data (from 1990 to 2006). They found that more than 111,000 kids, teens, and young people (19 years old and under) were treated in emergency rooms around the country for diving-related injuries — most often to the head, neck, and face. That's more than 6,500 diving-related injuries reported each year.
The leading cause of the injuries: Colliding with a diving board and/or platform. And the likelihood of getting hurt goes way up when kids hit the diving board as they try to do a flip, handstand, or backward dive.
With most of the young divers hurt being 10- to 14-year-olds, the study shows how kids' ages also have an impact on
how they're hurt while taking the plunge:
- Children under age 10 are more likely to get cuts.
- Tots under 5 years old are more apt to sustain injuries on the face.
- Preteens and teens (ages 10 to 19), who dive competitively more often than younger kids, have a tendency to break bones or injure their hands and feet.
What This Means to You
Although the most common diving injuries are cuts and bruises, others can be severe, involving major blows to the head and neck that can be fatal.
To keep a fun day in the water from turning into a preventable trip to the ER or a horrible tragedy, make sure your kids:
- Follow the rules of the pool, especially no diving in areas with posted "No Diving" or "No Swimming" signs, even if the water seems deep enough. Encourage them to stick to areas that are known to be safe, like the deep end of the pool.
- Swim — and dive — only when and where lifeguards are on duty. No matter how proficient they are in the water, kids of all ages can be hurt (or worse, drown) in any body of water. And, even when a lifeguard is around, constant adult supervision is still key for young swimmers.
- Only dive off the diving board. Never dive off the side of the pool unless you or a supervising adult say that the water is deep enough.
- Always look before they leap into a pool, whether they're diving, doing cannonballs, or jumping in feet-first. Kids should always check the water's depth and, if they're swimming at lake, pond, or river (where the water can be cloudy), make sure no hidden rocks or other hazards lie in wait at the bottom.
- Know what those big numbers painted on the side of the pool mean. They're called depth markers — they tell you how deep the water is in each area of the pool. If your kids frequently swim in a pool that doesn't have these markers (whether it's a public, school, family, or friend's pool), express your concern and kindly request that they be painted on to help prevent serious injuries.
- Stretch and strengthen if they dive competitively to prevent shoulder injuries. And make sure they're trained in the proper, safest techniques whenever they attempt any new, fancy, or tricky dives.
If you think your child may have a neck injury from diving or jumping into the pool, call 911 right away. Speak in calm, comforting tones and encourage your child to stay still while lying flat on the back. Then brace your child's neck and shoulders with your hands and forearms until emergency help arrives.
Hopefully, though, teaching kids how and where to dive safely will help keep this kind of scary situation from spoiling an otherwise enjoyable time in the water.
