6,000 Thai youngsters drown a year

Drowning is the number one cause of death for Thailand’s children, with more than 6,000 youngsters perishing in water every year, according to statistics released by doctors at Ramathibodi Hospital.

While tykes and toddlers usually drown at or near their home in bathtubs, buckets of water or ponds, children between 5 and 9 years old often drown while playing around neighbourhood bridges and canals with no protective railings. On average, 6,301 Thai children drown every year, accounting for 10.4 deaths per every 100,000 people in Thailand, according to Assistant Professor Dr Adisak Plitponkanpim, chief researcher at the centre for boosting safety and prevention of domestic injuries in Ramathibodi’s paediatric department.

Annually, 2,481 children between 0 and 4 years of age drown, as do 2,644 children 5 to 9 years old, and 1,176 children between the ages of 10 and 14.

The little ones usually drown when parents are busy, often washing dishes or talking on the phone. Toddlers can easily find their way into unattended water sources in the home or nearby canals and fish farms.

“Parents should learn the risks. Leaving a 9-month-old baby in a bathtub to answer a phone call may cause a drowning. For a baby under 2 years old, a drowning may occur in water at the level of the belly. Parents should know better, the baby should be dried and held to answer the phone,” he said.

A safe home and neighbourhood was one way of preventing a drowning. Babies need space for crawling and tumbling. In the home, parents can erect mobile plastic fences in front of the bathroom. Outdoor prevention measures include building railings around water sources.

--The Nation 2004-05-12

Maybe having a drought is not soo bad after all .

The authorities might want to clone the Aussie Kids Alive - do the five program, to curb fatalities.