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Affiliation
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Senior Paediatrician, Queensland Children's Hospital, South Brisbane, QLD, 4101, Australia. |
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Abstract
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ISSUE ADDRESSED: There is a scarcity of research into portable pool drowning and its prevention. This total population study examines fatal drowning among children under five in portable pools in Australia.
METHODS: All child drowning deaths in portable pools for the period 1-July-2002 to 30-June-2018 were identified. A portable pool was defined as any structure used for swimming and wading which, when emptied, can be moved.
RESULTS: Twenty-three children (aged 0-17 years) drowned in portable pools. The drowning rate for children less than 5 years of age was (0.09 per 100,000 population). The peak age of death was 12-23 months (RR=2.99; CI: 1.09-8.23), with the majority (n=20 deaths) aged 16-31 months. Ninety percent followed a fall into water. None were supervised. Children commonly resided in areas classified as socially and economically disadvantaged (85%; n=17). Drowning rates in very remote areas were 15 times greater (RR=15.41; CI: 0.03-7579.65) than city children. Eleven (55%) drowning deaths occurred in pools with a depth >300mm, of which 10 (91%) were known to be unfenced.
CONCLUSIONS: Social determinants impact child drowning in portables pools, which can occur quickly and in just 150mm of water. Active supervision and a regulation-compliant barrier are effective prevention stratagems, factors which were absent from the deaths in this study. SO WHAT?: Portable pool drowning disproportionately impacts those aged 16-31 months who reside in very remote areas and areas classified as having high socio-economic disadvantage. Education for these groups on fencing and supervision of children must be provided.
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Language: en |