Shower In Public

Yuck! Most Kids Don't Shower Before Using Public Pools

Most people shower after a day at the pool, but do you know anyone who's adamant about showering before going in the water? Many parents don't understand the risk of water infections from public pools and water parks, and few realize a pre-swim shower can largely prevent these illnesses, new research shows.

Recreational water illnesses (RWI), which are spread by swallowing, breathing in or contacting contaminated water in some way, affect more than 10,000 Americans each year. Public pools and water parks play a major role in spreading RWIs, but few parents have their kids take the necessary preventive steps, according to the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health.

The poll asked 865 parents, with children ages 5 to 12, questions regarding their opinions about water park risks and basic water park rules. When asked about whose responsibility it is to prevent infections, 28 percent of parents indicated it's the sole responsibility of the water park's staff. Furthermore, most parents chose to ignore parks' requests for hygienic pre-swim showers. [ 7 Devastating Infectious Diseases ]

Showering before a swim isn't just about curbing germs. A 2010 study by University of Illinois researchers found that when swimmers' nitrogen-rich consumer products, such as cosmetics and sunscreens, mixed with pool disinfectants, the products become chemically modified and converted into more toxic agents . Long-term exposure to toxic disinfection byproducts may be able to mutate genes, induce birth defects , accelerate the aging process, cause respiratory ailments and even induce cancer, according to the University of Illinois researchers.

"While 64 percent of parents feel it is very important for children to not swallow the water at a water park, only 26 percent of parents think it is very important to shower before getting in the water," Matthew Davis, director of the poll and associate professor in the Child Health Evaluation and Research Unit at the university's medical school, said in a statement.

It's true that water parks should make sure that their water has been correctly disinfected — but disinfection can only go so far, the researchers say. Although chlorine kills most of the germs that cause RWIs within an hour, cryptosporidiosis, a parasite that causes abdominal cramping, diarrhea and nausea, can survive for days even in properly disinfected water.

The best way to fight the spread of RWIs like cryptosporidiosis is to prevent the parasites from entering public pools and water parks in the first place.

Overhead Bin - To the showers! Poll highlights health hazards of ...

You teach your kids to wash their hands before eating and after using the bathroom, but do you make sure they shower before swimming in a public pool or water park?

Probably not, says a new poll that surveyed parents of elementary school children. Conducted by the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital at the University of Michigan, the poll found that of the 865 parents surveyed, only 26 percent felt it was very important to take a shower before swimming. In contrast, 64 percent said it was very important for children to avoid swallowing the water they swam in.

“Parents seem to understand the risk of contaminated water for their kids but few have their kids take the necessary preventive steps to keep everyone healthy,” said Dr. Matthew Davis, who directed the poll and is an associate professor at the University of Michigan Medical School.

The findings also suggest that many parents don’t understand the range of risks for contracting waterborne infections.

More than 10,000 Americans are sickened annually by recreational water illnesses, which can cause diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal cramps and fever or skin, ear, respiratory and eye infections. Such illnesses can be acquired by swallowing contaminated water and having contact with it in swimming pools, water parks, water play areas, lakes, rivers and oceans.

Unfortunately, such cases are on the upswing. There has been a substantial increase in outbreaks associated with swimming in the past two decades, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  Currently, the leading cause of swimming pool-related diarrheal illnesses is the parasite Cryptosporidium , which can survive for days even in well-maintained pools. Reported cases of cryptosporidiosis increased more than 200 percent between 2004 and 2008, from 3,411 to 10,500 cases.

North American water parks, which drew approximately 79 million visitors last year, work to ensure their water is clean and safe, Aleatha Ezra, a spokesperson for the World Waterpark Association, told msnbc.com. “There are very specific water-quality guidelines in place to keep the water clean and chlorinated,” she said. “You can’t operate a public pool or water park without following them.”

Still, the chlorine-filtrated water is not meant for drinking, and that’s where proactive efforts like showering can make a difference. “It really does cut down on the chances of putting germs in the water in the first place,” Ezra said.

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