Sad news as Davido and Chioma’s son Ifeanyi reportedly passed away.
Reports hinted that Ifeanyi drowned in a swimming pool at the singer’s home in Banana Island.
Drowning takes the lives of more toddlers than any other kind of accident. Children who manage to survive a “near drowning” often suffer permanent brain damage from lack of oxygen.
About three years ago, a similar incident occured when Nigerian afrobeat star, D’banj lost his son to drowning.
Drowning is the third leading cause of death for children under the age of five. This is so especially for those who have access to swimming pool.
How Davido loses son to drowning in his indoor pool
According to various reputable news outlets. Ifeanyi, three, drowned in a swimming pool at his residence in the Banana Island area of Lagos State.
The incident happened on Monday night, a few days after his third birthday.
Ifeanyi who was born in 2019 was said to have been underwater for a very long time before being rushed to a hospital but was sadly confirmed dead on arrival.
Davido, real name David Adeleke, 29, is yet to make any official statement but it is thought he Chioma were not at home when the incident occurred.
The singer, best known for songs If and Fall, shares daughter Aurora, six, with ex Sophie Momodu and daughter Hailey Veronica with his ex Amanda.
Lagos State Police Command spokesman Benjamin Hundeyin told Daily Post: ‘It is true, the child is dead.
How to ensure safety for your family pool
Children one to four years old are at greatest risk. They are very active and
curious, and they learn new skills every day.
One day they suddenly learn how to open the sliding door and wander from the house to the pool area. A child may fall in and drown silently without calling out for help. The whole event can happen in just a minute or two. Most of these drownings take place at the homes of parents, relatives or neighbors.
Fortunately, you can prevent toddler drowning by following these safety tips:
1- Never leave a young child alone in or around a pool even for a few seconds.
2- When young children are in or around the pool or spa, assign a “Water Watcher” to keep them in DIRECT SIGHT. Relieve the watcher every 20 minutes or so.
3- Get into the habit of keeping doors and gates leading to water closed, even
when using the pool or spa. Never prop doors or gates open.
4- Be especially alert at the start and end of “planned” pool time for toddlers.
5- If a child is missing, ALWAYS look first in the pool. Seconds count!
6- Keep rescue equipment (safety ring, long pole) and a cordless phone next to
the pool.
7- Make sure all fence gates and ladders leading to a pool or spa are self-closing and self-latching, with latches above the child’s reach.
8- Other barriers approved for use with new or remodeled home pools include pool safety covers, removable mesh pool fencing, self-closing and latching devices on the home’s doors, exit alarms on doors, swimming pool alarms, or
any other barrier approved by local building officials. [See sample below.]
9- There are certified safety covers like the one in the image above. They must completely cover the pool so children cannot fall into the water.
10- All doors opening into pool or areas should close and latch automatically.
11- Latch releases should be child-resistant or out of the reach of children.
12- Doors and windows leading to the pool area should be equipped with approved exit alarms (battery or wired to home electrical system) that make a
loud sound throughout the house and have a temporary bypass switch located out of a child’s reach.
13- Pet doors should be kept locked when children are present in the home.
14- Approved swimming pool alarms should be placed in the water to detect
movement. CAUTION: These should not be used without some other physical
barrier.
Other Safety Tips
- Experts agree it is best to use more than one safety method to increase the likelihood of keeping a child away from danger.
Parents, guardians and babysitters should learn cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and update their skills annually. - Restrict access to the pool or spa when it cannot be properly supervised. Doors and gates should be closed and locked.
- Keep things that children can climb on, like chairs, away from pool fences and gates.
- Have a professional regularly inspect your pool or spa for entrapment or entanglement hazards.
- Teach children how to swim when they are old enough. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends starting at 4 years old.
