The exposure of pre-school children to water hazards and the incidence of potential drowning accidents.

Pre-school drownings are a common cause of death and nearly all occur within the child's everyday environment. This study is the first attempt to (a) determine the rate of exposure of a nationwide sample of 8430 New Zealand children aged 1-3 years, to water hazards in their everyday environment and (b) obtain the number of potential drowning accidents suffered by the sample since birth. Sixty percent of the children were exposed to one and usually several, water hazards. Domestic swimming pools were the single most common hazard (39%). Sixty-three percent of these pools had no safety features. Eight-eight percent of the children's parents supported the mandatory fencing of domestic pools. Since birth, 734 of the children had experienced a total of 867 water accidents where but for a chance finding drowning could have resulted. Medical treatment was sought for 10%. Forty-eight percent occurred in a bath or a domestic swimming pool.