1. What Child Death Review Teams
Can Tell Us about Drowning
Maximizing the Opportunities to
Prevent Infant and Child Drownings
Teri Covington, MPH,

3. Sharing the Story

4. Guiding Principles

5. A Comprehensive Purpose
Investigation/Response Services Prevention

6. CDR in the U.S.

7. Healthy
People
2020

8. At a Review Meeting

9. Identify the Risk Factors
Drowning
Boys
Poor signage
Poor supervision No child care
No zoning ordinances Faulty gates
Poverty Teenagers No supervision
Stress
Poor Access Unable to swim
to EMS care Substance Use
Bad weather
Green water Unable to read
Impulsive behavior
No fencing

10. CDR Case
Reporting
System

11. System Features

12. Limitations of the Data

13. Data on Drowning

14. States with Data in the System
n=2,440, 1996-2011, 92% from 2005-2011
WA
MT ND ME
MN VT
OR
NH
MA
ID SD WI MI NY
WY 7% RI
CT
IA PA 5% NJ
NV NE OH
9% DE
IL IN
UT
CA CO WV MD
KS VA
10% MO KY
NC
AZ TN 6%
OK
7% AR SC
NM
MS AL GA
TX
17%
LA
FL
Included in data
HI
With other 6 states, represents more than 60% of
the cases
No drownings in the database

15. Identify the Risk Factors
Drowning
Boys
Poor signage
Poor supervision No child care
No zoning ordinances Faulty gates
Poverty Teenagers No supervision
Stress
Poor Access Unable to swim
to EMS care Substance Use
Bad weather
Green water Unable to read
Impulsive behavior
No fencing

16. AGE and Gender, by Percent
n=2,440
By Age By Gender
Over 18
Ages 10-14 Years Old
Ages 15 - 18
12% 1%
16% UK
1%
Ages 5 - 9 Under age
14% 1 Male Female
8% 68% 31%
Ages 1 - 4
48%
UK
1%
Data Source: NCRPCD Case

17. Race and Ethnicity, by Percent
n=2,440
By Race By Hispanic Origin
n=2440
UK
9%
African Native
American Hawaiian Yes
19% 1% 20%
Pacific
White Island
66% 0%
Asian No
UK 3%
Multi-racial 71%
9% 1%
Amer
Indian
1%
Data Source: NCRPCD Case

18. By Location and Child’s Activity
n=2,440
Child's Activity Last Seen
Place of Drowning Before Drowning
Bathing
Pool/hot 10% Sleeping
2%
tub
Swimmin
43% g
Other
18%
15%
Bath tub
Open 14%
Playing UK
water 33% 22%
30% Other
UK 8%
5%

19. Location of Drowning by Age
Under age Ages 1 - 4 Ages 5 - 9 Ages 10- Ages 15 - Over 18 Missing Total
Place 1 14 18 Years Old
Open Count 3 175 116 167 262 16 1 740
water
% 1% 15% 35% 55% 68% 73% 7% 30%
Pool, hot Count 17 734 146 81 61 2 4 1045
tub, spa
% 8% 62% 44% 27% 16% 9% 27% 43%
Bath tub Count 148 130 33 17 16 3 0 347
% 72% 11% 10% 6% 4% 14% 0% 14%
Other Count 28 88 23 28 24 1 1 193
% 14% 7% 7% 9% 6% 5% 7% 8%
UK Count 9 50 13 11 23 0 9 115
% 4% 4% 4% 4% 6% 0% 60% 5%
Total Count 205 1177 331 304 386 22 15 2440
% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
33 kids died in bathtub btn ages 5-9 (5 were homicides; 23 accidents; 5 undetermined)
(15 of 17 kids ages 10-14 died in bathtub were accidents.)
(13 of 16 of kids ages 15-18 died in bathtub were accidents)

20. Pool Drownings
Type of Pool Type of Pool Ownership
n=1045 n=1045
Above ground
20%
In ground Private
UK 63%
15% 60%
UK
28%
Hot tub/spa
3%
Wading Public
2% 9%
In two percent of the pool drownings (n=21), In 52% of public pool drownings
child found on top of or under a pool cover (n=96), no lifeguard was present.