Northern Light Pediatrics-Newsletter

Warn children to steer
clear of pool drains

When parents warn their children about pool safety, they often can be heard saying: "Don't run on the pool deck." "Don't swim alone." Or, "don't dive in shallow water." But kids of all ages also need to be reminded never to play around the drains in pools and spas because the strong suction forces can cause hair entanglement or entrapment.

Since 1990, 130 people have become entrapped on pool and spa drains or their hair has become entangled in drain covers, resulting in 27 deaths, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Actual fatalities are thought to be higher because some entrapment deaths are reported as "drownings."

In March, the CPSC updated its guidelines for entrapment hazards stating that incidents and deaths continue to occur, despite new technologies and various codes and standards developed to prevent such hazards.

Many different circumstances of design and maintenance can produce the conditions for the hazard, according to the CPSC. Hazards include any open drain, or any flat grating that the body can cover completely, along with a plumbing layout that allows a buildup of suction if the drain is blocked.

Common childhood pool games contribute to the problem, such as playing "who can hold their breath under water the longest." Long hair trailing near the drain can become entangled in its parts. In addition, a child sitting on an uncovered drain, though much less common, can suffer disembowelment.

Some cases include:

An 11-year-old girl was diving for coins and a ball, when the items fell through the grate covering a drain. She removed the grate to get the coin, but when she used her foot to retrieve the ball, she was sucked into the drain by the powerful pump. The grate should have been bolted down, and the pump did not have a "reverse flow factor." She was held under, suffered brain damage and later died.
A 7-year-old girl was playing in a neighbor's spa when she was caught by the spa's suction pump, with bubbles and foam temporarily disguising her condition. Two adults could not rescue her in time to save her life.
A 14-year-old boy was swimming in an apartment pool when his arm got stuck in the drain at the bottom. The drain cover was not attached properly and had come loose. He was trapped until a rescuer broke into the pool storage building and flipped off the pump switch - 12 minutes later. He suffered brain damage.

To help prevent entrapment, follow these safety precautions:

Never leave a child unattended by water.
Teach children to stay away from all drains.
Have family pools or spas professionally inspected for entrapment hazards.

For more information on the recent CPSC guidelines for entrapment hazards, visit www.cpsc.gov.

-Alyson Sulaski Wyckoff
-2005 American Academy of Pediatrics, August of 2005