Newswise — With miles of beaches and acres of pools, summer is the ideal time to enjoy the delights of the season. But along with the fun of swimming, body surfing or just paddling around comes some real dangers — including the risk for drowning. Statistics show that drowning is the leading cause of unintentional injury and death for children ages one to four, and that drowning can occur in as little as two inches of water. Maribeth Chitkara, MD, Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics and Pediatric Hospitalist, Stony Brook Children’s Hospital, is available to share the steps parents can take to keep the entire family safe all summer long. “The single most important thing is to never take your eyes off children who are in the water,” says Dr. Chitkara. “Not even for a few seconds. Nine out of 10 drowning deaths occur when a caregiver is supervising but not paying attention.” Dr. Chitkara can discuss other important water safety and swimming tips, including tips to keep it safe in the sun and the summer heat.
Stony Brook University has a ReadyCam TV interview studio capable of transmitting live broadcast-quality standard and high-definition video directly to all news media organizations around the world 24/7. An ISDN line is also available.
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