Background Drowning is a global public health problem for both morbidity and mortality in children and young adults especially in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). In Bangladesh drowning is the leading cause of death of children aged 1–5 years. In 2016, the rate of non-fatal drowning was 819.5/100,000 among 1–4 years old children and fatal drowning was 71.7/100,000 population, more than nine times higher incidents occur in non-fatal to fatal drownings in Bangladesh. Most previous studies on drowning focused on the description of drowning mortality and trends. There have been few studies on non-fatal drowning.

Objective This study aim was to find out the issues and factors associated with hospitalization due to non-fatal drowning of under five children in rural Bangladesh.

Methods 93 hospitalized children between 1–5 years’ old who experienced at least one non-fatal drowning between January 2021 and November 2023 were included in the study. Participants were identified from an ongoing passive surveillance database of seven sub-districts under the CreCHeS programme of the Centre for Injury Prevention and Research, Bangladesh (CIPRB). A pretested, structured questionnaire was used to collect data related to hospitalization, socioeconomic status, and the occurrence of non-fatal drownings.

Results Preliminary data indicates that 53 boys (57%) and 40 girls (43%), who were rescued from drowning, were transferred to a nearby hospital and pharmacy. The majority (72%) of non-fatal drownings involved children aged 1–3.

All of those non-fatal casualties occurred between 7 AM to 6 PM. Almost 78% (n=73) of the victims were rescued by their neighbors or family members, and 94%(n=87) of the incidents happened in the pond within 20–40 meters of their residence. The cost of the treatment found ranged from 2,000 to 25,600 BDT, with a maximum hospitalization stay of 7 days and a minimum of 1 hour. Only one instance required ICU assistance. After being rescued, nobody received any first aid.

Conclusions Most nonfatal drownings involved children ages 1–3 of both sexes and in ponds. Casualty management costs were between 2,000 and 25,600 BDT, with a maximum hospitalized stay of 7 days. Nobody received any first aid after being rescued.