Drowning is the second-leading cause of injury-related death among children under the age of 14 – and the leading cause of unintentional injury-related death among children ages 1 to 4?

In 2002 (the most recent year for which statistics were available), 838 children ages 14 and under died as a result of accidental drowning. Each year, an estimated 5,000 children ages 14 and under are hospitalized due to unintentional drowning-related incidents each year; 15 percent die in the hospital; and as many as 20 percent suffer severe, permanent neurological disability.

Here are some tips to help you play it safe around water and enjoy summertime fun:

– Swimming classes are extremely important for young children &8212; but never assume your child is &8220;drown proof.&8221; Close supervision for all children enjoying a pool is a must for their safety.

– Keep pools fenced with locked gates to prevent children from playing in the unsupervised area. Also, keep a top on the hot tub when it&8217;s not in use. If you have a pool and a child, you should successfully complete a child CPR course.

– Take water safety classes from the Red Cross and get CPR-certified.

– At the beach, swim only where lifeguards are present and heed the warnings of lifeguards and park rangers. If there&8217;s a flag warning system for water conditions, be sure you understand what each flag means. If you see someone struggling in the water, call 911 immediately.

– Don&8217;t mix alcohol and swimming.

– An infant can drown in just ONE INCH of water, so NEVER leave a small child unsupervised in the bathtub or around mop buckets.

The bathtub ranks second to swimming pools as an in-home site of drowning in children, and it is estimated that 30 children drown annually in buckets. And, remember to keep toilet lids down if you have a small child in the house.

For more information on this and other children&8217;s health and safety issues, visit the Children&8217;s web site at www.helpyourchild.com