How To Protect Your Children From Recreational Water Illness

KYW's Medical Reports Sponsored By Independence Blue Cross

By Dr. Brian McDonough, Medical Editor

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Recreational water illness is not just another medical term conjured up by physicians, although it may seem like one! Actually, it makes a great deal of sense.

Recreational water illness is the term we use for kids getting infections from exposure to contaminated water. This time of year it can be a big problem and it can worsen as we head into the summer.

So how do you protect the kids? Teach your kids to swim with their mouths closed. If they swallow water, they have the potential to take in germs. Chlorine does kill germs, but not fast enough to account for babies in diapers who might be in the pool at the same time.

If you're not swimming in a pool, be aware of another concern; problems after a storm. That's because after a storm, there's plenty of runoff from lawns and farms that can enter rivers and lakes, even the ocean.

You need to use common sense and be very careful. You need to tell the kids not to open their mouths when they're swimming.