'Dry drowning': UAE experts caution parents to not ignore water-related incidents

An 8-year-old boy and his mother were sitting on the shoreline when a sudden wave unexpectedly hit them. The boy, though conscious, was struggling to breathe after accidentally swallowing water.

Fortunately, a rescuer nearby immediately activated an emergency action plan and performed artificial respiration until the boy's condition improved. Without this quick intervention, the boy could have lost oxygen and could have died.

Jessie Campos, a former senior lifeguard, explained that the boy experienced what is known as dry drowning. The incident occurred four years ago at Dubai's Al Mamzar Beach.

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Campos cautioned parents against ignoring signs of dry drowning, which can happen even in seemingly harmless situations like the one above. "At least one family member must know about Basic Life Support," Campos told Khaleej Times. He added that every school must do life-saving trainings to all the students at least once a month, and tell students to share their knowledge with their families.

He explained how dry drowning can happen: “Children playing in the pool can be at risk for dry drowning. For example, when they splash water or if one child jumps near another doing a back float, the waves can cause the floating child to swallow water.

This can also happen at the beach when there are rough waves. Additionally, dry drowning can occur while drinking water; if someone distracts you or scares you while you're drinking, it might cause you to swallow water. Lying on your back can also lead to this in rare cases,” Campos said.

Dr Mohamed Nagy Serour, a Medcare Royal Speciality Hospital Pediatrician, warned parents not to neglect any symptoms the child might show after inhaling water. “One common misconception is that symptoms of dry drowning appear immediately. In reality, they can be delayed, leading caregivers to overlook early warning signs."

Nagy advised caregivers to rescue the child immediately, assess their breathing, and start CPR if needed. Even if they appear okay, the child should be monitored closely. This vigilance can help detect delayed symptoms of dry drowning early.

“I had evaluated a child with breathing difficulties hours after swimming. The child was admitted for observation, treated with oxygen, and fully recovered,” he added.

Meanwhile, Dr Raiza Hameed, a pulmonologist at Aster Clinic, explained that inhaling water can lead to 'laryngospasm,' where the vocal cords seal the airway to prevent water from entering the lungs. "This results in water entering the stomach instead. While laryngospasm prevents water from entering the lungs, it also disrupts normal breathing.

Sometimes, the airway seal can persist until cardiac arrest occurs, resulting in what's dry drowning, as no water enters the lungs."

She further clarified that drowning and near-drowning events are leading causes of death in children, noting that one can drown in just a few minutes, even in water as shallow as an inch. The signs and symptoms of dry drowning are similar to those experienced during drowning.

No matter how many terms are used to describe it or how long the symptoms persist, drowning remains a significant danger to children. Caregivers must educate themselves so they can effectively care for and assist children in case of drowning incidents.

Symptoms

Dr Sudha Rao, a paediatrician at Aster Royal Clinic, said children with pre-existing respiratory conditions, such as asthma or allergies, are more susceptible to problems stemming from water inhalation, as it can lead to airway irritation and subsequent breathing difficulties.

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