Every year there are approximately 50 drowning alarms involving children. Between five and ten children die.
– It is an extremely tragic type of death, it comes suddenly and is often associated with strong anxiety, says pediatrician and professor Jonas F Ludvigsson in Nyhetsmorgon.
Can be seriously injured
Even if the child survives, he may suffer serious injuries.
In cases of drowning, two organs – the brain and the lungs – are affected.
– The lung damage is temporary. There it is about the fact that you might end up on a respirator or get pneumonia, but we can handle that. It is the brain damage that is the worst. A small child who suffers a lack of oxygen can have CP damage, and older children can have problems with their schooling, says Jonas F Ludvigsson.
CPR makes a difference
He says that Swedes are generally good at giving CPR.
Something that is very important to start immediately, as it is common for a person with a lack of oxygen to go into cardiac arrest.
– It makes an incredibly big difference. I can’t give an exact percentage figure, but it is usually said that the risk of dying is approximately 60 percent if CPR is not started within ten minutes of a drowning accident.
Saved the life of a three-year-old
He has worked as a pediatrician for 25 years, but says that it is really only one life that he can safely say he has saved.
It was when a small child came running onto a jetty, jumped into the deep side – and disappeared.
– At first I didn’t understand what had happened. I turned around expecting to see a parent or something but there was no one acting, he says.
– I saw a bright head in the water but then it disappeared and it turned black. And there was a stream. And deep. Then I dove in and at first I didn’t find it, but then I swam further down and managed to find it on the bottom. Finally I was able to lift it onto the bridge and it survived. Everything went well.