Study: Portable Pools as Risky as In-Ground Pools

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - The lead researcher of a new U.S. study on drownings says a child dies every five days in a portable pool during the warm-weather months.

The study, being published Monday in the journal Pediatrics, calls for effective and affordable protection devices for the pools, which range from small wading pools to large inflatable and other soft-sided pools.

It says 209 children under 12 died and 35 nearly drowned from 2001 to 2009. Ninety-four percent of the children were younger than 5. The numbers are comparable with findings for in-ground pools.

The study was conducted by researchers at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus and Independent Safety Consulting in Rockville, Md.

The Association of Pool & Spa Professionals in Alexandria, Va., agrees with the report's findings, underscoring the importance of constant adult supervision supplemented by safety devices.