The end of the school year is winding down which signals the beginning of swimming season. However, caution needs to be taken.

Drowning is the number two cause of accidental death for children ages 14 and younger. For children ages five and under, close to 350 drown in residential swimming pools each year, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).  Overall, approximately 810 children have died each year from 2001 to 2005 due to accidental drownings, and on average, an estimated 3,600 children go to the emergency room after near-drowning incidents a year.

In 2010, 13 children were treated at the Regional Pediatric Trauma and Emergency Center at The Children's Medical Center of Dayton for near drowning.  All of these incidents occurred during the summer months of May through August. Near drowning occurred in both public and private pools, bathtubs and kiddie pools.

Even a near-drowning incident can have lifelong consequences. Kids who survive near-drowning may have brain damage; after four to six minutes under water, the damage is usually irreversible.

The most important precaution is active supervision. Simply being near your child is not necessarily supervising. A supervised child is in sight at all times with undivided attention focused on the child.

To help keep kids safe this pool season, Dayton Children's and Safe Kids Greater Dayton recommend these precautions:

• If you have a pool or spa it should be surrounded on all four sides by a fence at least five feet high with gates that close and latch automatically. Studies estimate that this type of isolation fencing could prevent 50 percent to 90 percent of child drownings in residential pools.
• A pool or spa should be equipped with an anti-entrapment drain cover and a safety vacuum release system to prevent children from being caught in the suction of the drain. The powerful suction forces can trap a child underwater or cause internal injuries.
• Don't leave toys in or near the pool, where they could attract unsupervised kids. For extra protection, consider a pool alarm and alarms on the doors, windows and gates leading to the pool.
• Enroll children in swimming lessons around age 4, but don't assume swimming lessons make your child "drownproof." There is no substitute for active supervision.
• Remember: inflatable swimming toys such as "water wings" and noodles are not flotation devices and do not prevent drowning.
• Learn infant and child CPR. In less than two hours, you can learn effective interventions that can give a fighting chance to a child whose breathing and heartbeat have stopped. Contact the American Red Cross of Greater Dayton for information about local CPR classes.
• Keep rescue equipment, a phone and emergency numbers by the pool.

These guidelines apply to inflatable and portable pools, not just in-ground pools. A child can drown in just an inch of water. Kiddie pools should be emptied and stored out of reach when not in use.