Water safety training as a potential means of reducing risk of young children's drowning

The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of training in swimming and water safety on young preschool children's ability to recover safely from a simulated episode of falling into a swimming pool. It concluded that such programmes may offer some protection for children at risk of drowning and there was no indication that this programme increased the risk of drowning. However, pool fencing, other barriers around water, and parental supervision still remain the most important prevention strategies to reduce drowning in children.