Water Safety for Kids

A recent TikTok of a mom showing off a "parenting hack" involving putting an indoor playpen into an in-ground pool with two toddlers inside has gone viral, spurring a conversation about swim safety. "Putting a playpen into a pool is not safe at all,” said Rajitha Julapalli, M.D., a board-certified pediatrician at Pediatrix® Urgent Care of Texas. “Children can die in as little as two inches of water. With the playpen, children can fall, or a side can buckle, and too much water can get in, which makes this very unsafe and potentially deadly." Instead, engage in safe water play with little ones. "For toddlers, sprinklers and splash pads are good options for water play. There are many fun water toys, floats, and even waterproof books that you can play with alongside your child in the water. Adults can take turns being 'water watchers' with other adults to give each other a break."

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