Ways To Protect Your Child In The Swimming Pool This Summer

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The summer has arrived; it is swimming pool times when kids like to use the pool for staying cool and having fun. Besides concerns about water safety in the form of diving injuries, drowning and sunburn, there are other serious concerns with many children using the same pool and chances of infection and contamination.  



Ways to protect your child in the swimming pool:

• Do not allow your child to swim if he/she has diarrhea; this applies also to kids that use diapers. Your child could spread an infection. The main culprit is a germ cryptosporidium that is found in the intestinal tract of humans and is transmitted mainly through leaky diapers or another pool side accident. Cryptosporidium is small sized and resistant to chlorine; if swallowed it could cause an upsetting bout of diarrhea. So it is best to caution your children to avoid getting the water in the pool in their mouth and also to use nose plugs or hold the nose while jumping or diving in the pool.


Children enjoying in the pool



• Next it is important to note that using the swimming pool also exposes your children to parasites like giardia, as well as bacteria like E.coli 0157:H7 and Shigella; E. coli could also be transmitted by the ingestion of  fecal matter and is particularly dangerous for children below the age of 5 years. It shows up as diarrhea, abdominal cramps, blood in the stool, listlessness, and sometimes fever. This calls for parents to take their children for toilet breaks and also to ensure that they wash their hands well after using the toilet or changing the diaper.



• To avoid contamination and infection to other children, parents should not change the diapers of their kids near the poolside; germs could spread to the surface and objects in and around the pool. Also it is best to know that swim diapers are not leak-proof and would not prevent leaking of diarrhea into the pool.



• Lastly parents need to ensure that their children take shower before and after swimming. Also ensure your children use the toilet before going for a swim. Both these ensure the least contamination. Parents should also check the level of chlorine in the pool; chlorine is one of the best ways to protect you against germs and infection. In addition ensure that the water in the pool is clear and transparent and there is no built up debris; the water in the pool should be clear unto 10 feet and you should be able to distinguish the objects at the bottom of the pool.    



Image Courtesy: Google   



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