About 800 children die each year in the United States from drowning. A child can die by drowning for many reasons such as, but not limited to, lack of swimming ability, obstacles and close supervision, and seizure disorders. However, one of the most common causes of child drowning is the improper use of flotation devices. While Coast Guard-approved life jackets are indeed safer than float arms, neither are adequate replacements for adult supervision and swimming ability. Most often, flotation devices are harmful to the child in question and this is why flotation devices should not be used with young children. Flotation devices teach poor swimming techniques. Whether the flotation device is a life jacket or a pair of floaties, a child will not learn the proper way to swim using these devices. Life jackets are created for the sole purpose of keeping a person's head above water. Life jackets do not allow the swimmer to be horizontal in the water. Learning to swim upright not only leads to dog paddling instead of swimming, but also often leads the child to learn to be afraid of putting their face in the water. Although float arms allow the swimmer to be horizontal in the water, they add artificial buoyancy to the child. This prevents the muscles needed to float without these devices from developing. The child often learns to move forward in the water, but not to stay above the water. Flotation devices create a false sense of skill in children. When children reach a milestone such as crossing the pool, they usually do not remember the help of flotation devices, or feel that flotation devices are not a large part of why they have accomplished this... middle of paper. ....he may lose consciousness for four to six minutes due to irreversible brain damage. Flotation devices are not an adequate substitute for adult supervision, yet they are commonly used as such. Water is the second leading cause of death among children, and flotation devices play a major role in this problem. The use of flotation devices with young children should be stopped. Rather than using a flotation device to teach a child to swim, hold the child while he learns the proper technique and gradually reduce the level of support offered until the child is swimming on his own. If teaching the child is not an option, there are many classes available for young children to learn how to swim. If the child is too young to learn to swim, he or she is too young to leave the arms of a caregiver. Flotation devices should not be used with young children as they are harmful in many ways..