Summer is just a few months away, and for many families that means plenty of trips to the pool. Whether at a neighborhood swim center, a private club, or even in the backyard, swimming pools offer great exercise and an important oasis from the summer heat.

Obviously, parents of small children and toddlers need to take precautions around the swimming pool.

The basics of swimming pool safety.

The most important rule of swimming pool safety for families is that children who cannot swim should never, ever be allowed unsupervised around a pool. Even pools equipped with a leaf net still present a drowning hazard, as children who fall in can become trapped inside or beneath the net's surface.

Children taken into the pool should wear form-fitting swimsuits that do not feature frills or extra material that can weigh them down in the water. Children should stay within arm's reach at all times.

Diapers are not proper swimwear, and in fact fecal matter left in the pool poses a risk of infection by cryptosporidium bacteria. If a child has a bowel movement in the pool, the other swimmers should leave the water immediately. The pool should be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized.

Children and swimming lessons

As a general guideline, children can learn to swim about the same time they learn to ride a bike - about the age of five or six. Children should only be taught by licensed instructors who are trained in CPR and life guarding.

Treating and preventing swimmer's ear.

Swimmer's ear, or otitis externa, is caused by a common germ that gets into the ear canal, causing infection. When excessive water accumulates inside the ear cavity, the ear's lining becomes weakened, leaving it vulnerable to contagion by the germ. While painful and uncomfortable, the condition is not usually serious. Symptoms can last anywhere from several days to a few weeks.

The U.S. Center for Disease Control recommends treating the ear with several drops of an alcohol-based product before swimming as a means of preventing infection.

Parents should not use cotton swabs or fingers to attempt scooping water out of the child's ear, as this may scratch the ear drum and leave the ear open to further infection.

Finally, it's important to remember that Swimmer's Ear is not the same condition as Childhood Middle Ear Infection. Children with Swimmer's Ear should not swim with their ears uncovered while dealing with its effects; however, a simple swimming cap pulled down over the ear cavity does offer sufficient protection.

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