You know that vigilant supervision is absolutely critical any time your child is in or near water, whether she’s splashing in the tub or swimming in a pool, the ocean or a lake. The reason: Drowning is the leading cause of injury and death in kids ages 1 to 4 years old.
And you may have heard of "dry drowning" and "secondary drowning," which have come to refer to complications that crop up after a drowning scare, with the claim being that they can develop sometimes several hours or even days later, and often in children.
But while those stories may have popped up in your feed over the years, neither term is accepted as a true medical diagnosis, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and other experts.
So should you be worried? Could your child have trouble breathing or suffer from other potentially dangerous complications after a drowning scare?
The truth about dry drowning and what it really means
"Dry drowning" is not an accepted medical term or actual diagnosis. Definitions vary, but it can refer to complications that occur during or after a struggle in the water.[1]
In reality, a number of different conditions can cause problems after a drowning scare (known as submersion injuries), including hypothermia, lung inflammation or pulmonary edema (a build-up of fluids in the lungs).
The term dry drowning is defined in various ways (and sometimes even used interchangeably with the term “secondary drowning”), but can refer to what occurs when water is inhaled or aspirated into the lungs via the mouth or nose.
That closes off your windpipe involuntarily (called laryngospasm, which is the body’s way of protecting you against drowning and preventing water from getting into the lungs), making it difficult to breathe.[2]
Read This Next
This very rare respiratory trouble tends to show up shortly after a struggle to stay afloat, and you’d most likely see warning signs right away or soon afterwards.
If your child inhaled a little water after being in the pool, she's likely okay. If she struggled underwater for a while and has coughing and breathing difficulties (more than when a drink of water goes down the wrong way), call 911 or your pediatrician right away or take your little one to the nearest ER or urgent care.
What is secondary drowning and is it an actual medical condition?
"Secondary drowning" (sometimes called "delayed drowning") can refer to incidents where children or adults suffer subsequent, worsening injuries (also called submersion injuries) or symptoms after struggling to stay afloat in the water for a period of time. It’s also often used as a phrase that's synonymous with “dry drowning” and has multiple definitions depending on the source, only adding to the confusion over these two terms.
As with dry drowning, however, the AAP and other experts do not approve of using "secondary drowning" to describe anything that occurs after a drowning scare because it's not a true medical diagnosis or an accepted condition. Symptoms that may occur after a near-drowning episode can stem from several different causes, such as pulmonary edema or a head injury.
As is the case with dry drowning, secondary drowning can cause unnecessary alarm and panic. Children do not unexpectedly die a day or more later without warning after a drowning scare.
Still, it's important to watch for symptoms that could indicate breathing trouble and other complications after a struggle in the water.
What symptoms should you look for after your child has a drowning scare and what should you do?
When a child has a drowning scare, it's important to keep an eye on her for a few hours afterwards. Fortunately, symptoms tend to appear right away and aren’t hard to discern.
Seek medical assistance quickly if you notice these warning signs:
Labored breathing (rapid breathing, flared nostrils, seeing space between the ribs or at the collar bone)
A change in skin color
Loss of consciousness or sleepiness
Trouble talking or walking because of huffing and puffing
Persistent coughing
Behavioral changes (acting confused, forgetful)
Vomiting or foaming at the mouth
Should I be worried about dry drowning or secondary drowning when my child is in the water?
It's always a good idea to keep an eye out for complications after your child has a drowning scare or struggle in the water.
Parents should instead concentrate on water safety and drowning prevention.[3] The greatest risk — especially to toddlers — is being around water while unsupervised, since a child can drown in just minutes in as little as an inch or two of water.
Some tips to remember to make swimming (and bathtime) as safe as possible for your little one:
- Parents and caregivers should be monitoring children in the water without distractions like cellphones or alcoholic drinks.
- Parents and caregivers should practice "touch supervision," meaning they're within arm's reach of every child they're watching.
- Unsupervised access to the pool or other body of water should be restricted, meaning no toys in the pool, self-locking fences that are the accepted height, and other measures.
- Children who can't swim should wear life jackets, but again should be within arm's reach of adults watching them.
- Children should start swim lessons as early as age 1.
- Parents and guardians should learn CPR, as bystander CPR (rescue breaths, then compressions) can help in drowning situations.
Yes 
No 
Trending On What to Expect
