Dry Drowning – What You Need to Know

Dry Drowning – What You Need to Know

Dry drowning is in the forefront of the news lately after causing the death of yet another child. When you come home after a fun day at the beach, pool, or on a boat and your child is fine, if they start having breathing difficulties later it’s a scary thing!

Here’s what you need to know:

Dry drowning can occur when a person had a near drowning experience, or inhales large amounts of water through their mouth or nose and the water gets into the lungs. Dry drowning symptoms can begin anywhere from 24 – 48 hours after swimming.

Symptoms can include:

• Persistent Coughing
• Vomiting
• Fever
• Difficulty Breathing
• Drowsiness
• Chest Pain

If your child had a near drowning experience or swallowed a bunch of water, watch them for any of the symptoms listed above. It’s important that dry drowning be treated as a medical emergency. If they do show any of these signs, call 911 or immediately take them to the hospital.

Prevention methods can include:

• Swim Lessons – Start your children swimming at an early age.
• Close Supervision – Never let your children swim alone. Never leave a child alone in a bathtub.
• Water Safety – Help your children understand water safety, use personal floatation devices, and keep pools secure.
• Proper Behavior – Discourage rough housing and dunking.

Thankfully, incidents of dry drowning are rare, but that doesn’t make the importance of water safety and supervision any less necessary. Especially now with summer vacations beginning, it’s a good time to review rules such as no swimming alone, always swim with a buddy, or to begin swim lessons. All of us at West Coast Pediatrics want you to enjoy your summer so please be safe in the water.