Preventing child drowning: essential strategies and application of the chain of survival

Abstract

Drowning represents one of the leading causes of preventable death in children. Preventing child drowning requires the implementation of effective strategies and, within the scope of public health, it must be a priority in order to reduce mortality rates and serious consequences. This article aims to discuss strategies for preventing child drowning, in addition to the importance of properly applying the drowning survival chain. The study was carried out through a search in the Medline/PubMed, Virtual Health Library (VHL) and CAPES Periodicals databases. The research question and strategy used were based on the PICO model. Clinical trial studies, meta-analysis, randomized controlled trial, complete articles, books and documents published in English, Spanish and Portuguese in the last 5 years were included. A total of 220 articles were initially found. After analysis and elimination of duplicates, 179 references were analyzed by title and abstract, of which 147 were included for full reading. After this stage, 135 references were excluded. In the end, 12 studies were considered eligible. Available evidence demonstrates that preventing child drowning requires a multifaceted approach that integrates awareness, active supervision and strengthening safety strategies. Furthermore, applying the chain of survival is essential to increase the chances of saving lives, highlighting the importance of a quick and coordinated response.