Drowning is a leading cause of unintentional injury death in children. The drowning process begins within seconds following submersion.
The American Academy of Pediatrics emphasizes the need to protect children with multiple layers of prevention—including close, constant, attentive, and capable adult supervision and early swim lessons—within a revised policy statement, “Prevention of Drowning” published in the July 2026 Pediatrics.
The statement and an accompanying technical report, pre-published online May 18, guide clinicians, families, community partners, injury-prevention professionals, and policy makers on evidence-based best practices for reducing pediatric drowning.
“Swimming can be a child’s first sport, and swim lessons can be introduced after a child turns 1,” said lead author Rohit P. Shenoi, MD, FAAP. “Toddlers are at the highest risk of drowning, as they can escape without notice even under the best of circumstances. Adolescents are also especially vulnerable since they may overestimate their swimming skills, misjudge the seriousness of water hazards, or engage in risky and impulsive behaviors.”
The policy, written by the AAP Council on Injury, Violence and Poison Prevention, offers updates to a 2019 policy and addresses widening disparities in fatal pediatric drowning rates based on race and ethnicity. Policy statements created by AAP are written by medical experts, reflect the latest evidence in the field, and go through several rounds of peer review before being approved by the AAP Board of Directors and published in Pediatrics.
Drowning is the leading cause of death in U.S. children in children ages 1-4, and teens are also at higher risk of drowning, as are children with medical conditions such as autism and epilepsy. While overall drowning rates declined from 1999 to 2019, deaths are rising again, and the burden falls disproportionately on Black, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and rural children, according to the statement.
Recommendations are tailored for families, pediatricians, community partners, advocates, and policymakers.
“Preventing drowning is not the responsibility of families alone,” Dr. Shenoi said. “This is a team effort, and pediatricians are in an excellent position to help raise awareness with patients and community partners.”
AAP recommends:
- Be aware of drowning hazards. Supervise children in, on, and around water. Never leave, even momentarily, young children alone or with another child while in or near bathtubs, pools, spas, or standing or flowing water.
- Ensure a supervising adult with swimming skills is within arm’s length and provides touch supervision for an infant, toddler, or weak swimmer who is in or around water.
- Begin swimming classes in children after their first birthday. There is also no evidence that infant swim lessons reduce the incidence of drowning.
- Young children near water, non-swimmers and those riding on boats should wear Coast Guard-approved life jackets, with adults modeling use.
- Laws, regulations, and enforcement—such as fencing requirements, life jacket regulations, lifeguard standards, and safe natural-water designations—are proven tools to reduce drowning deaths.
- Caregivers and adolescents should learn CPR and know how to perform safe rescue.
“When drowning occurs, seconds matter,” Dr. Shenoi said. “Quick rescue and resuscitation can mean the difference between life, death, and lifelong disability. Ask your pediatrician if you are unsure of your child’s safety around water and what you can do about it.”