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Home › Articles › Toddler Safety › Dry Drowning

Dry Drowning

The Myths and Facts of Delayed Drownings

By Kelly Burgess

Pages:  1  2  3  

"Apparently he had some symptoms right away, coughing and choking, and then some mental confusion later," Dr. Horowitz says. "When the fluid flows to your lungs it can deprive your brain of oxygen and cause mental symptoms, so that was an indication that something more serious was wrong."

Also, Dr. Horowitz says, after the incident at the pool, the child walked home, possibly putting a further strain on his lungs.

Dr. Jacqueline May, of Banner Medical Center in Arizona, understands that this incident is of great concern to parents, but she also wants to stress that it's an extremely rare occurrence. However, she notes that there are things parents can watch for that may help prevent death from a near drowning experience. Here are some:

  • Choking or gagging that lasts for more than a minute or two.
  • Any blue tinge to the lips that's not from cold.
  • If the child seems very sleepy or lethargic out of proportion to the activity, to the point that it's not easy to wake him or rouse him to talk to you.
  • Any loss of bowel or bladder control in an older child.
  • Any loss of consciousness.

    These symptoms, in conjunction with any incident in which a child chokes on, swallows or aspirates water, may indicate there's some respiratory distress from water damage that needs immediate attention.

    "It's not uncommon for children to take a sip of water and choke or cough, so don't panic at every incident," Dr. May says. "But if something has happened at the pool and your child doesn't seem quite right, don't hesitate to see a medical professional."


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