San Diego Daycare Injury Report

In Nebraska, Marcus Bass has been charged in connection with alleged child abuse injuries inflicted on a child that sustained brain hemorrhage and fractured bones.

In Nebraska, Marcus Bass has been charged in connection with alleged child abuse injuries inflicted on a child that sustained brain hemorrhage and fractured bones. Mr. Bass has been charged with felony child abuse. News stories report the child was taken to Children’s Hospital. Medical evaluation revealed injuries consistent with non-accidental injury including a right rib fracture, possible arm and leg fractures and bleeding in the brain. Mr. Bass’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for December 18^th.  

The Keane Law Firm seeks to raise public awareness about child abuse, child abuse prevention and the rights of children that have been catastrophically injured. Please call the office or visit our website for a consultation.  

http://www.keanelaw.com/
Phone# 415-398-2777
Address: Keane Law Firm, 1388 Haight Street, No. 244, San Francisco, CA  94117 
Email: grace@keanelaw.com

Attorney Christopher Keane has devoted his Bay Area practice to representing children whose lives have been irrevocably altered by abuse, neglect, injury, or death. He is a member of the San Francisco Child Abuse Prevention Center (SFCAPC), and is currently serving as the President on their Board of Directors. The prestigious Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory Bar Registry of Preeminent Lawyers has awarded Christopher Keane a top rating and, reflecting his dedication to professional excellence. In addition, Mr. Keane is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum Top Trial Lawyers in America, listed in the top 500 Plaintiff's attorneys in America by Lawdragon.com and as a principal member of Keane Law has acted as lead plaintiff’s lawyer on a number of successful multi-million dollar cases.

 

 

New resource for parents of injured children in Michigan - check out michiganchildinjurylawyer.com

If you are a parent of an injured child in Detroit, or anywhere in the State of Michigan, there is a great new resource for you.  Buckfire and Buckfire, a great group of lawyers for injured children in metropolitan Detroit, have launched a new blog:

http://michiganchildinjurylawyer.com/

This blog contains critical information that you will want to know to help your child who has been injured in any way in Michigan - either from medical malpractice, a car accident, child abuse or or accidents involving children.  The Buckfire brothers - Daniel and Larry - are fantastic lawyers and leaders in the field of child injury law - and they are great parents, too, so they not only know what you need to help take care of a child, they can get you the results you need to make it happen with their legal team at Buckfire and Buckfire.  

In Phoenix, Jesse Ramirez has died from a serious head injury he sustained allegedly at the hands of Joe Sauceda Gallegos.

In Phoenix, Jesse Ramirez has died from injuries he sustained allegedly at the hands of Joe Sauceda Gallegos. On December 23, 7-year-old Jesse Ramirez was allegedly seriously assaulted by 36-year-old Gallegos. News stories report that Gallegos was arrested within several hours of the deadly attack on Ramirez and his friend. Physicians reported that the injuries sustained by the child were consistent with bludgeon wounds to the head.  

Gallegos appeared in court on Wednesday, December 24, for charges related to child abuse and dangerous crimes against children. He faces additional charges.   

A child has died because of someone else’s criminal behavior. The Keane Law Firm represents children that have been catastrophically injured from child abuse. Please call us, the child injury law firm for a timely case evaluation at 888-592-KIDS or 415-398-2777.  You may visit our website at www.keanelaw.com – we will determine the facts of the case and file a claim to hold those responsible to pay for the damages. In a child death lawsuit, we will recover for pain and suffering among other losses. We represent clients nationwide.

 

Jason Strickland was sentenced to 12 – 15 years in state prison for charges of child abuse. Haleigh Poutre remembers being hit.

Jason Strickland was sentenced to 12 – 15 years in state prison for charges of child abuse that caused severe disabilities for his step-daughter Haleigh Poutre. Mr. Strickland faced Judge Judd J. Carhart for sentencing. Haleigh is 14 years old now and lives in the Franciscan Children’s Hospital in Boston. She remains in the custody of the new state Department of Children and Families. Strickland’s attorney plans to appeal the sentencing.    

Haleigh Poutre has been severely injured. The Keane Law Firm represents children that have been catastrophically injured from child abuse. Please call us, the child abuse law firm for a timely case evaluation at 888-592-KIDS or 415-398-2777.  You may visit our website at www.keanelaw.com – we will determine the facts of the case and file a claim to hold those responsible to pay for the damages to protect the injured child’s future interests. In a child abuse lawsuit, we will recover for pain, suffering, disability, disfigurement, medical bills, hospital bills, home health care costs, rehabilitation costs, nursing care, transportation costs, future lost income and wages, etc…

 

San Francisco California Bar Exam Tutor and Consultant, Grace Hum

Anyone taking the California Bar Exam - either for the first time or second or third time - would be smart to hire Grace Hum, a San Francisco, California bar exam tutor and consultant.  Not only is she a legal writing professor at University of San Francisco, she is a former practicing lawyer who knows the pressure associates and law firms feel when they need an associate or clerk to pass the California Bar Exam.  Grace has gotten great bar exam results for people.  Perhaps even more important, since anyone in this position needs to spend considerable, intense time with their California bar exam tutor consultant, Grace is a perfect mix of character traits for a coach.  She is kind, yet firm.  She has a sense of humor - which is critical  in a stressful situation, but is serious about her students' work and future.  She is extremely bright and hard-working.  Any California Bar exam taker or law firm with an associate taking the exam would be lucky to get Grace on their team.  Visit her site at www.gracehumconsulting.com

Shaken baby syndrome

The Child Abuse Prevention Council of Sacramento, all eight Sacramento birthing hospitals, and 24 Home Visitation programs joined together in June 2005 to unveil an innovative and comprehensive Sacramento County Shaken Baby Syndrome Prevention Program. The program is an evidence-based training program about infant crying and SBS for all new parents (18,000 annually) and is expected to reduce the rates of SBS by 50%. The $50,000 project is funded by the Sutter Medical Center Sacramento Community Collaborative Benefits Grant Program. SBS is the injury of multiple organs including the brain, eyes and bones caused by the violent shaking of an infant or young child. There may be many factors within a family or care giving facility that lead to violent shaking, but typically the “last straw” is inconsolable infant crying. Babies do not die of crying, but they do die from being shaken. These needless infant deaths CAN be prevented and the Shaken Baby Syndrome Prevention Program is designed to do just that. Great programs like these are needed to help under-prepared and under-resourced new parents understand that taking care of babies, while rewarding, will be frustrating. Emotional support and education are needed, otherwise, it is foreseeable that babies will continued to be shaken and suffer traumatic brain damage or death.

Keane named among "500 Leading Plaintiff's Lawyers in America"

Christopher Keane has been rated by the prestigious Lawdragon Magazine as one of the 500 Leading Plaintiff's Lawyers in America, which noted that Keane has been "a tireless advocate for injured children" and that "Keane has collected seven-figure wins for wrongful death, amputation, cerebral palsy and more". Lawdragon issued this statement about their rankings: "So let us be the first to say we are grateful for plaintiff lawyers. They save our lives and are the first person we call when we're in trouble. To help you should you find yourself in that position, Lawdragon has once again combed the land to level the playing field when you need it most. We asked the nation's best lawyers and their clients whom they'd trust with their own legal matters. The Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiffs' Lawyers in America are the result of that quest...." and added that these lawyers are the "The nation's most trusted attorneys in the courtroom, chiefly representing individuals, whether in solo or class claims of essentially any nature, toxic tort to aviation, securities class action to employment." We are honored to receive this ranking.

Child death in California

Pursuant to California Penal Code section 11166.9, the California Department of Justice is responsible for the administration of the State Child Death Review Council (SCDRC). The Attorney General, in conjunction with other state departments, statewide associations and other selected public and private organizations, coordinates the activities of the Council. Among other duties, the council is responsible for overseeing the statewide coordination and integration of state and local efforts to address fatal child abuse and neglect, and to create a body of information to prevent child deaths. Currently, most California counties have Child Death Review Teams. Local Child Death Review Teams are primarily responsible for reviewing child fatality cases to determine their cause and develop strategies to reduce the incidents of child deaths. The Keane Law Firm supports the important work done by the Child Death Review Teams, in their effort to prevent child deaths.

New California Foster Care Death law

Press Release: CA Governor Signs Law Mandating Public Access to Records of Children Who Die of Abuse or Neglect Oct. 11, 2007 – Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger today signed SB 39, which mandates public disclosure of findings and information about children who have died of abuse or neglect. The goal of the bill is to promote public scrutiny of cases in order to improve child welfare policy and practice to ensure children’s safety. The bill was authored by Sen. Carole Migden (D-San Francisco). “Little is known about these children, the suffering they endured prior to their deaths, and the steps that might have been taken to protect them,” said Bill Grimm, senior attorney at the National Center for Youth Law, which co-sponsored the legislation with the Children’s Advocacy Institute. “This new law will make it possible to get information that is vital to reform, while protecting the privacy rights of those involved.” California’s new law is unique in that it allows public access to portions of a child’s actual case file, rather than a summary of information provided by the child protective agency responsible for the child’s safety. In addition, there is a presumption under the new law that the entire case file will be released upon request to the juvenile court. “This really is one of the only laws – if not the only law – in the country that allows this degree of access,” said Grimm. He said most states release summaries of case information or allow access to a child’s case file only under certain circumstances. In 2002, the last year data is available, an estimated 140 children in California died due to abuse and neglect, and another 191 died under suspicious circumstances. Just in the past week, two children from the Bay Area are believed to have died of abuse. Under the new law, the public will have timely access to specified information in juvenile court records. The law lays out a three-tiered system for the release of records: 1) Reasonable suspicion - Within five days of a child’s death that is reasonably suspected to be the result of abuse or neglect, the county welfare agency must, upon request, release minimal information about the child, including: * Child’s name and gender * Date of death * Whether the death is under investigation by child welfare officials or law enforcement * Whether the child was in foster care or at home with his or her parent/guardian at the time of death. 2) Substantiation – If the suspected abuse or neglect is substantiated, documents relating to the circumstances surrounding the death must be released, upon request. These documents include: * All previous referrals to the child welfare agency regarding abuse or neglect * Emergency response referral information Reports made by the child welfare agency to law enforcement * All health records, excluding mental health records, relating to the child’s death and previous injuries * Police reports regarding the person believed to have inflicted the abuse * Records pertaining to foster parents’ licensing and training, if the child was in foster care at the time of death 3) Court procedure for releasing documents – The law sets forth an expedited judicial procedure for release of other documents, favoring the release unless statutory grounds for confidentiality exist. No balancing or weighing of interests is required except where interests of another child are involved. Among the bill’s supporters are the California Newspaper Publishers Association, the California Nurses Association, and the County Welfare Directors Association of California. The Keane Law Firm supports this new law as an important tool both to correct the injustice of foster care death in California and to prevent future foster care death in California.

California enacts law acknowledging duty to protect children in foster care

In the wake of the "In re Terrell R." case, which concerned a child abused in foster care, the State of California legislature enacted a law whereby it became clear that the state owed a duty to proect the children in its foster care system. The law states as follows: The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (1) The state has a duty to care for and protect the children that the state places into foster care, and as a matter of public policy, the state assumes an obligation of the highest order to ensure the safety of children in foster care. Welfare and Institutions Code 16000.1 The Keane Law Firm supports this law, and will work to see that it is enforced for children abused, injured or killed in foster care in California.

Shaken baby simulator being used in Davis, California

There is a high-tech shaken baby simulator being used by shaken baby prevention educators in Davis, California. It is used to demonstrate the manner in which shaken baby injuries occur, as well as how much force is actually needed to cause shaken baby syndrome to occur. Here is a link to an article about it in the Davis Enterprise from November 13, 2007. http://www.davisenterprise.com/articles/2007/11/13/news/048new0.txt

California Grandmother, Pat Dazis, proposes expanding list of mandatory child abuse reporters in wake of death of grandson, Chris Cejas

This is an article written by a woman whose grandson was reportedly killed by his biological father and stepmother.  Reportedly, child protective services notified about potential abuse, but could not locate the boy within the apartment building.   The writer suggests that apartment owners be added to the list of mandatory reporters for child abuse and neglect.  Read what she has to say.

http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/2007/12/california_apar.html

The Keane Law Firm proudly supports the San Francisco Shaken Baby Prevention Project 2007

The Keane Law Firm proudly supports the very important work of the San Francisco Shaken Baby Prevention Project 2007, which is attempting to educate everyone who cares for children in San Francisco about the best way to prevent shaken baby syndrome.  Here is what they want you to know: 

All babies cry.  It is frustrating.  Crying does not mean that you are a bad parent.  Your baby is not trying to make you angry.  Your baby may cry for up to 6 hours a day.  Crying does not hurt your baby.  Crying does not cause brain damage or other health problems.   Your baby will cry if there is yelling or fighting in the home.  Don’t fight in front of your baby.  Your baby may cry if too hot or too cold, or is teething.  Your baby may cry for no reason.  If you are worried about your baby, or your baby is sick or acting differently, see a doctor right away. You can calm your baby in a number of ways.  Change your baby’s diaper.  Feed and burp your baby.  Give your baby something to suck.  Rub your baby’s tummy or back.  Hold your baby against bare skin.  Wrap your baby tightly in a soft blanket.  Turn the lights out.   Motion may also help.  Gently rock your baby back and forth.  Put your baby in a cloth carrier and take a walk outside.  Rock your baby gently in an infant swing.  Take your baby for a ride in a stroller or car – and be sure to use a car seat.  Sound may also help.  Sing to your baby.  Say “Shhhh” in your baby’s ear louder than your baby is crying.  Turn on a radio, fan or vacuum cleaner to make a soothing noise while your baby is in the crib. Sometime, your baby will not stop crying.  Let the baby cry it out.  Calm yourself down.  Call the Talk Line number (415) 441-KIDS (5437). 

If you feel angry or out of control, do not pick up or hold your baby.  Put your baby gently in his or her crib and leave the room.  Take a break.  Take a deep breath and count to 10.  Then, count to 20.  Call a friend or neighbor for support.  Splash cold water on your face.  Take a shower.  Listen to music.  Exercise.  Make a cup of coffee or tea.  Call your doctor and ask for advice.  Your baby may be sick.  Ask a trusted family member or friend to watch your baby.   For more ideas on how to calm your crying baby, call the Talk Line anytime, day or night:  (415) 441-KIDS (5437)

Shaking your baby, for just a few seconds, can kill the baby.  Not all babies die from being shaken, though.  What else can happen if a baby is shaken?  Many parents feel very upset when their baby won’t stop crying and sometimes shake their baby.  Forceful shaking can cause permanent injuries, such as brain damage, blindness, coma, severe disability, mental retardation and death.

Many parents feel very upset when their baby won’t stop crying.  For more ideas on what to do if your baby won’t stop crying, call the Talk Line at 415-441-KIDS (5437).  This is a free, confidential, 24-hour counseling and crisis line for parents.  Share this information with everyone you know who cares for your baby, including family and babysitters.   Here is the website for the Talk Line: www.sfcapc.org/programsTalk_line.htm

If a baby has already been shaken and you need legal advice or a lawyer or attorney for a shaken baby, please call the Keane Law Firm at 888-592-KIDS (5437).  The Keane Law Firm represents babies who have suffered shaken baby syndrome.

 

In Tennessee, a five year-old boy died from injuries he sustained while swinging on an unsecured back yard swing.

On July 16^th, Wednesday morning, a five year old boy sustained a deadly head injury when the swing set he was swinging on collapsed. The accident occurred in the backyard of a home on Douglas Road in Joelton, TN. The investigation revealed that the wooden support posts of the swing were not secured to the ground. The accident occurred around 9:15 in the morning.  CPR was initiated at the scene until EMS arrived. The child was pronounced dead at Skyline Medical Center in Nashville, TN.

 

With the exception of infants, accidents are the number one cause of modern mortality in children. For children ages one to nine years of age, the injury death rate is approximately 10.4 per 100,000 children.  The type of death and injury changes with the development level of the child. The nature of a non-intentional injury and death are influenced by multiple factors, such as the developmental stage of the child, the child’s behavior, gender, race, socioeconomic status, parental (or other) supervision, and the environment. In general, male children are more likely to be injured than female children. Children of lower socio-economic status are more likely to be injured than children from upper socio-economic status. 

 

One key principal to reduce death and injury in children is to restructure the environment to improve safety. Examples of restructuring environment include using safety belts in the car, wearing helmets while riding bicycles, putting fences around pools, childproofing the home, maintenance of playground equipment and adjusting water temperature of the water heater to below 120 degrees Fahrenheit.  Most injuries for children in this age group occur at home.    

In Florida, Mary Dorsch, 20 year-old, was arrested and charged with child neglect causing great bodily harm.

Mary Dorsch was babysitting when she fell asleep at the child’s home located in the 5300 block of Malamin Road on September 9^th, 2008. While she was sleeping, the child was left unattended and subsequently drowned in a swimming pool. The deceased child’s name has not been released.

 

Of all the age groups, toddlers are at the highest risk of drowning across the lifespan. Because they do not have the developmental ability to swim, nor can they keep their heads above water, or know how to get out of water. Young children can drown in very shallow water, including pails of liquid, toilets, bathtubs and baby pools. Drowning is the second leading cause of deaths related to injuries after motor vehicle accidents.

 

According to the CDC, children between the ages of one and four years of age are more likely to drown in swimming pools and hot tubs. Mortality rates secondary to drowning are three times higher for males. Approximately 78% of drowning victims are male. Unlike adults, young children do not call out for help while in distress, they generally drown silently. Near-drowning accidents can result in permanent brain damage. For every child that drowns there are approximately five near-drowning episodes in children. Drowning is the second highest cause of injury-related deaths in children between the ages of one and nine years old.  

 

The most effective prevention of death and injury from drowning is supervision. Supervise toddlers at all times while they are playing in the pool. Stationary pools should have a locked fence around them. Personal well-fitting flotation devices should be on all children that are passengers of boats. Never leave a toddler unsupervised in a bath tub. Unlike adults, young children do not call out for help while in distress, they generally drown silently. Supervision is very important, for this reason. Lapses in adult supervision, even while parents were home, are very common features of drowning accidents. Introducing swimming lessons and water safety at a young age will likely reduce the likelihood of drowning or near-drowning mishaps through the lifespan.    

Infants strangled to death. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: Warning issued on August 27, 2008 – Simplicity, Inc.

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a warning to parents regarding the use of the Simplicity Bassinets, specifically the Simplicity 3-in-1 and 4-in-1 Convertible “Close-Sleeper” Models. 

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is officially urging parent stop using the Simplicity convertible “close sleeper/bedside sleeper” bassinets manufactured by Simplicity, Inc. On August 21, 2008 a second infant death occurred when a five month-old infant from Kansas was strangled to death due to entrapment between the bassinet’s metal bars. The first death occurred on September 29, 2007. A four-month-old infant in Missouri died in the same manner.  

CPSC warns that Simplicity Inc. has allegedly refused to cooperate with the government investigation and has not recalled the product. Due to serious potential for death and injury, the CPSC is urging all consumers to share the safety warnings with day care providers, re-sale stores, family and friends. The CPSC warns that no baby should be placed to sleep in this product.  

The CPSC Recall Hotline is 800-638-2772. If your child is injured with this product, the Keane Law Firm can help you get the compensation your child deserves.  Please contact us for a free consultation.    

 

Check out Michigan Motorcycle Lawyer Blog

One of the law firms I admire the most, Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C.,  is providing another great free service to the motorcycle community.  They are unveiling their brand new Michigan motorcycle law blog - http://michiganmotorcyclelawyerblog.com/

The Buckfire firm is unique for a few reasons.   First, they not only care about their clients - but also the community at large.  Providing free, current safety and legal information to motorcycle riders is a big service and the Buckfires are owed a debt of gratitude for their efforts.  Second, they are a family operation.  The Buckfire firm was started by David and Vicky Buckfire and it is now spearheaded by two (2) brothers - Larry and Dan Buckfire.  There is no stronger tie than family - and unlike other firms which cut, run and evaporate depending on which way business is heading for their partners, the Buckfire firm is stable.  They have been in Michigan for a long time, and will continue to be providing excellent service to Michigan motorcycle riders for years to come.  Third, the Buckfire firm is on the cutting edge of motorcycle laws and safety - and provide current information on motorcycle safety and accidents on the internet.  So you don't need to call a lawyer to answer your question, check out their site and e-mail them.  If you are a motorcycle rider in Michigan, you want the Buckfire firm.  Their website is www.buckfirelaw.com   Their number is 800-606-1717.  Their results are amazing. 

In Rochester, one-year-old Joseph Richard McCarthy-Petralia was found drowned in a pool.

In suburban Rochester, Joseph McCarthy-Petralia was found drowned in an above-ground pool. His mother found him unresponsive. He was taken emergently to Strong Memorial Hospital. More details are not available at this time. News stories report that police have not filed charges in the matter at this time.

 

Toddlers are at the highest risk of drowning across the child-lifespan. They do not have the developmental ability to swim, nor can they keep their heads above water, or know how to get out of water. Young children can drown in very shallow water, including pails of liquid, toilets, bathtubs and baby pools. Drowning is the second leading cause of deaths related to injuries after motor vehicle accidents. According to the CDC, children between the ages of one and four years of age are more likely to drown in swimming pools and hot tubs. Mortality rates secondary to drowning are three times higher for males. Approximately 78% of drowning victims are male. Near-drowning accidents can result in permanent brain damage. For every child that drowns there are approximately five near-drowning episodes in children. Drowning is the second highest cause of injury-related deaths in children between the ages of one and nine years old.

 

Unlike adults, young children do not call out for help while in distress, they generally drown silently. Supervision is very important, for this reason. 

 

Because of a toddlers’ lack of judgment, they are at high risk for injury. Their limited coordination, increased curiosity and toddler-problem solving abilities, they will get injured with a lack of supervision. Toddlers will fall down stairs, climb onto furniture and climb through open windows. Males tend to get injured more, but the overall incidence of injury peaks in this age group. The major cause of injury is related to environmental factors, such as hazardous structures, drowning and pools of water, burns and overly heated water, cooking and open flames, motor vehicles and inappropriate use of restraints, and inappropriate storage of household poisons. 

 

Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a warning against MacGregor and Mitre folding soccer goal nets – toddler found dead from strangulation.

Unlike Simplicity, Inc., Regents Sports is cooperating with the Consumer Product Safety Commission and recalling the 190,000 MacGregor and Mitre folding soccer goal nets after a toddler was found dead and two other complaints of children getting entangled in the net. This product is made in China, and distributed by Regents Sports. The soccer nets were sold at Ace Hardware, Walmart and other sport and toy stores, nationwide, from May 2002 through May 2008.  

The MacGregor soccer goal package has model number 97236 and UPC Code number 029807972365. The Mitre soccer goal model number is 89186 and UPC Code number is 029807891864.  

The nets manufactured after April 2007 with 4 x 4 inch square openings are not included in the recall. The CPSC warns consumers to stop using the recalled soccer goal nets and return the product to Regents Sports for a free replacement net.   

In Pierce County, a jury awarded an 11.7M verdict for death of 2 year-old Gabriel Tobin.

In Pierce County, on July 13, 2004, a two-year-old boy went outside, crossed the street, walked through a backyard and drowned in Lake Tapps. He was found drowned a couple hours later. The family sued the state, employees of the daycare and the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) for gross negligence.  After a three week trial, and two hours of deliberation, the jury awarded the family, the Estate of Gabriel Tobin, and the attorney, 11.7M dollars. The plaintiff argued that the day care should not have been licensed if it didn’t have a fence to prevent children from accessing the lake. Furthermore, the DSHS rules require a fence and the agency’s inspectors issued the facility a license on two occasions despite the absence of a fence.   

On the day of the tragedy, allegedly Lisa Fish was tending to an altercation between some of the children when Gabriel left through the daycare doors. According to news stories, the jurors held the state responsible for 81% of the judgment and the Fish family responsible for 19%.  

Supervision is a key factor in the prevention of injury. The environment should be child-proofed. As children grow from infancy through toddlerhood, parents should evaluate the environment for safety as the child develops new skills. Children should play in fenced areas with the supervision of adults. Toddlers should never be left unattended.  Lock doors and windows so children cannot go through them. And use safety gates to prevent falls down stairways and prevent unsupervised climbing up the stairs.   

Toddlers are at the highest risk of drowning across the lifespan. They do not have the developmental ability to swim, nor can they keep their heads above water, or know how to get out of water. Young children can drown in very shallow water, including pails of liquid, toilets, bathtubs and baby pools. Drowning is the second leading cause of deaths related to injuries after motor vehicle accidents. According to the CDC, children between the ages of one and four years of age are more likely to drown in swimming pools and hot tubs. Mortality rates secondary to drowning are three times higher for males. Approximately 78% of drowning victims are male. Unlike adults, young children do not call out for help while in distress, they generally drown silently. Near-drowning accidents can result in permanent brain damage. For every child that drowns there are approximately five near-drowning episodes in children. Drowning is the second highest cause of injury-related deaths in children between the ages of one and nine years old.    

Never leave infants or toddlers unsupervised by water. Empty the shallow wading pools and water basins when not in use or under the direct supervision of a responsible adult. Keep lids closed on toilets. Don’t leave your infant by containers of water to answer the phone or get the door. Remember bath seats are not intended to be used as water safety devices. Your infant should not be left in a bath seat without adult supervision. The absence of adult supervision is a prominent feature in the incidence of infant drowning. Leaving infants in bathtubs to be supervised by siblings does not constitute adequate supervision. In fact, there are known cases where siblings placed infants in bathtubs to play, or played rough with infants due to lack of supervision around bath tub water, the infants drowned as a result. Primary providers are responsible for teaching water safety and drowning prevention tips to new parents.  And child caregivers are responsible for supervision during water recreation and bath time. Flotation devices are not safety devices.