Set Rules For Swimming

Once it gets hot, kids are naturally drawn to playing in and near water. But thousands of kids end up in emergency rooms each year because of near-drownings, and more than 1,000 under age 14 drown. The American Academy of Pediatrics offers these guidelines to help keep you and your family safe at the pool: * Never leave children unsupervised in or around a pool -- particularly an inflatable pool -- even for a moment. * All pools should be surrounded by a fence at least 4 feet high without any openings that a child could squeeze through. The gate latch should be out of a child's reach. * Don't rely on devices such as "floaties," which don't offer enough protection to keep a child from drowning. * Provide swimming lessons for children as appropriate. Parents should be CPR-certified. * Make sure pool drain covers are not broken or missing. * Keep equipment -- such as a rescue hook and life preservers -- nearby at all times.