It is a sad reality, but the fact is that hundreds of children die each day and it seldom makes it to the front page. But when a child dies (read girl drowns) due to parental neglect, his story has the ability to upend an entire society.
Perhaps that's exactly what happened when a six-year-old Indonesian national, Neisha Sandra Karamoy, died after drowning in a pool, as her father glued himself to his cell phone.
This shocking incident has once again highlighted the obsessive use of technology by young parents that has rendered them unaware and simply neglectful.
What exactly happened
On the fateful day, the six-year-old Neisha, along with his father Zacharias Alexander Karamoy and brother reportedly went for a swim at a pool nearby in Singapore, where they had come for a short vacation.
But this harmless activity turned deadly when the young girl, who was not wearing a flotation device and was a non-swimmer, slipped into the pool and drowned.
After 15 minutes Karamoy realised that he couldn't hear his young girl and spotted her motionless body at the deep end of the pool. Horrified by the sight, he jumped into the pool and pulled his daughter out.
He then called an ambulance and the child was taken to the KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH), where she was declared dead two days later. The hospital authorities stated that the young child died after she was found brain dead.
This incident led to an in-depth investigation by the a Singaporean State Coroner (official of the law who investigates matter of death). The official, while sympathetic to the loss of the parents emphasised that adults must refrain from using their cell phones et al, especially while supervising children.
Not the first case
But while this case has woken up parents across the world and highlighted their obsession with technology, India has had its fair share of parental neglect.
Earlier this year, a vacation went horribly wrong when five children aged between 7 and 13 died after drowning in the Chamthachal river in Kerala.
Unsupervised by the relatives, with whom they were staying, the kids had decided to make the vacation memorable by taking a dip in the river.
In another case, six children drowned after they decided to take a dip in a pond, unsupervised. But due to rains just a few days back, the water in the pond at Khoksar village in Barmer, Rajasthan, became deep and its depth was almost invisible.
Continue reading to see some of the measure parents can take in order to avoid such deadly situations.
3 golden rules to safeguard your kids
Parental neglect, whether it is because of obsessive use of technology or due to simple distraction, can be quite deadly. But it's not impossible to prevent this entirely. One of the best ways is to ask for help.
As young parents trying to juggle between your demanding work and kids, it is best to be prepared and keep your children informed about the dangers that may befall them if they are too neglectful themselves.
But first, here are three golden rules and instant measures you can take to protect your kids.
- Consider your child's age: If you are parents to teenagers, you would probably not worry about them falling into a muddy pond, but with younger kids, you have to be extra cautious. If you cannot supervise your child when he/she wants to play outside, consider asking for help from family or hire a nanny. It's always best to have little ones supervised at all times.
- Inform your child: Unless it's a surprise birthday party for your five-year-old, its best to inform your child about where he/she may be going. You should also tell them about what they can expect once there and who they should stick around with. It may sound a bit disciplinarian, but it's the best thing you'll do for your kid.
- Educate them about life-saving skills: If your kids like activities such as swimming or just like to play around the pool, make sure you teach them basic life-saving skills. You can inform them about what to do in case they slip into the water without a flotation device or what to do if they feel breathless.
All of these precautions can help save your child's life and act as instant protective measures.
Read: Child Safety and You: Does your child know your phone number?
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