A Texas 4-year-old child died of dry drowning a week after swimming.
A week after swimming with his family in the Texas City Dike near Galveston, Francisco Delgado III died
Francisco, known as Baby Frankie to his parents, exhibited indications of an upset stomach after swimming, but he appeared to be improving, so his parents were unconcerned.
After that, Frankie woke up in the middle of the night, around a week after going swimming, and stopped breathing.
‘Out of nowhere, he just woke up. He said, “ahhh,”‘ Frankie’s father, Francisco Delgado Jr told KTRK-TV. ‘He took his last breath, and I didn’t know what to do no more.’
Frankie was brought to the hospital after Francisco Jr. dialed 911.
‘I walked in. I could see him lying there. They were still working on him. I’m screaming. Let me just touch my baby. Maybe he needs his mama’s touch,’ Tara Delgado said. ‘When she came in, she told us it’s what’s called dry drowning. His lungs were full of fluid. There was nothing else they could do for him.’
Frankie had fluid in his lungs and around his heart.
Dry drowning occurs hours or even days after inhaling water. Experts say that symptoms include difficulty breathing, coughing, tiredness, lethargy, and vomiting.
According to Purva Grover, medical director of Cleveland Clinic Children’s pediatric emergency departments, water irritates the lungs, prompting them to fill with fluid,
One may not see one’s child swallow any pool water, but it’s critical to look for indicators of dry drowning immediately after an episode, Grover said. It is quite rare for youngsters to have no symptoms, yet they may go to bed and have difficulty breathing in the middle of the night. It takes a few hours for the fluid to enter the lungs.
As per Dr. Kay Leaming-Van Zandt of Texas Toddler’s Hospital, kids can drown in just a few inches of water.
It simply takes a fraction of a second, Leaming-Van Zandt explained. Drowning is audible. It’s nothing like what one sees in movies, when there’s a lot of bustle.
Grover stated that while dry drowning incidents are uncommon, parents should constantly be aware of the possibility.
Her greatest suggestion is to obtain a professional assessment when a kid has a near-drowning episode in the water, she added.
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