Citing statistics from the Centersor Disease Control and Prevention, Senator Chuck Schumer of New York called on that agency to further investigate the occurrences of drowning among toddlers and institute outreach programs on the subject.
The senator referred to data showing that three, children drown every day in the U.S. The CDC also said that an average of 3,600 non-fatal drownings occur each year among children aged 1-4.
Schumer particularly focused on an apparent gender gap. CDC data showed that between 2014 and 2016, toddler boys accounted for two times more drowning deaths than girls of the same age.
In a letter, Schumer requested that the CDC investigate not only the causes of drowning among toddlers, but also for the gender disparity. “Based on these findings, I urge the CDC to collaborate with state and local health departments to develop a community-based outreach, education and prevention campaign,” he said in the letter. “These are tragic and often preventable deaths, but parents need to be educated as to how to prevent them. This is particularly critical for the parents of boy toddlers, who may be unaware that their son is at greater risk of drowning.”
