SPOKANE, Wash. -- Spending time at the pool is fun but can also be a bit stressful for parents.
Drowning is the leading cause of preventable pediatric death.
A Florida mom said a freak accident at the pool made her 4-year-old sick. She took in a bunch of water but they thought she was okay. The next day they rushed her to the hospital on a hunch that she was drowning. You may have heard the phrase ‘dry drowning’ but doctors actually call this secondary drowning.
Even though doctors say it is rare, kids can drown even after leaving the pool. Atypical or secondary drowning can happen after a child has struggled in the water and is rescued. It can also happen when a child plunges into a pool of water from a water slide or high dive. Any time their body does not have enough time to react to a large rush of water into their mouth, it can eventually lead to lung swelling then can make it difficult to breathe.
Doctors said children often appear fine immediately after an incident but secondary drowning can cause brain injury or even death.
The good news, doctors said, is secondary drowning does not happen out of nowhere. Parents will see warning signs one to 24 hours after the incident. They can include persistent coughing, shortness of breath, chest pain, lethargy, fever and unusual mood changes.
Doctors said accidents like this are rare. As long as parents pay close attention to their kids after swimming and get them checked out if you notice any symptoms, they should not stress about secondary drowning.