NEW YORK, June 12 (Xinhua) -- A rare medical condition known as dry drowning has recently alarmed parents with little kids after a four-year-old died and another two-year-old was saved in the United States.
The two cases have hit the headlines of U.S. newspapers since a four-year-old boy named Francisco Delgado died on June 3, six days after a swimming trip with his family in Texas during which he inhaled some water.
The little boy felt unwell in his stomach afterwards but his parents didn't take it seriously until a week later he suddenly woke up in pain and died moments later.
When the doctor called the death an example of "dry drowning", and nothing else could be done to save Delgado whose lungs were full of fluid.
Delgado's case caught the attention of Garon Vega whose two-year-old son Gio complained about head pain shortly after swimming on Wednesday during which the boy took in a small amount of water, the New York Daily News reported on Monday.
Gio's head pain developed into a persisting fever and cough. His father researched the symptoms online and came across Delgado's story.
The Vegas, who live in Colorado, immediately took their son to the hospital where a "significant amount of fluid" was found in the boy's lungs.
The father said it was little Gio's story that saved his son in time. "If we had waited the night, he probably wouldn't have made it," the father said to local TV station KTRK.
Dry drowning not only relates to swimming pools but also any body of water, including the bathtub at home. The term of the rare but fatal medical condition has swiftly alarmed a number of parents and became a hot search topic online.
Dry drowning can occur hours after a child has experienced a near-drowning incident, such as inhaling a few gasps of water through the mouth or nostrils, which will lead water into the lungs, according to a report by USA Today.
Dry drowning incidents are rare but it's best for parents to be overcautious because if untreated it can lead to brain injury, respiratory problems or even death, USA Today quoted experts as saying.
According to the New York Daily News, some symptoms of dry drowning include coughing, chest pain, trouble breathing and fatigue, all of which indicates that the brain and body lack enough oxygen and the person needs proper medical care.
