Don’t take swim lessons lightly
Dear Mr. Dad: I’ve heard drowning is a big risk for kids, especially toddlers. Now that it’s summer, should I sign my baby up for swim lessons? If so, what age is appropriate to start?
A: Drowning is a leading cause of injury-related deaths among children under 5. Toddlers 12 to 36 months are at the highest risk.
And victims who almost drown often end up with medical problems that can plague them for the rest of their lives. These can include: brain damage, seizures, learning disabilities, paralysis, and other respiratory, cardiovascular, and neuromuscular disorders.
Nearly half of child drownings occur in freshwater lakes, rivers and canals; about 30 percent happen in swimming pools – even inflatable ones. About 10 percent happen in homes (in bathtubs, buckets and even toilets) and a small percentage in the ocean.
In a lot of cases, parents are actually close by but assume that they’d hear if their child was drowning. Unfortunately, toddlers are top-heavy so they’re likely to fall into water head first and can drown silently in minutes. A child can drown in as little as a few inches of water.
Given how scary these statistics are, it’s natural to want to decrease your child’s risk of drowning. But there’s a lot of debate on whether swim lessons for toddlers are effective drowning prevention.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends lessons for all kids 4 and up but doesn’t recommend them for kids under 1 year. Many swim schools offer classes for toddlers, and even infants, in order to build a foundation necessary for further instruction. And some organizations, such as Infant Swimming Resource, focus on teaching babies basic water survival skills, such as rolling over and floating in water.
Some experts advise waiting until 6 months to introduce babies to water because newborns get cold easily and are particularly susceptible to illness and pool chemicals.
Between 6 and 24 months is generally a great time to introduce your tyke to the water. At this age most babies are ready for a “mommy (or daddy) and me” classes.
When looking for a baby swim class, be sure the pool is heated to 92 degrees and has some shelter from direct sun. (And outfit your baby in a swim diaper.)
Between 3 and 4, most children are ready for formal swimming lessons (without a parent in the water) where they begin to learn actual swimming skills.
Whatever you decide to do, though, the most important thing to remember is that swim lessons do not magically protect your child. An adult must always be present when kids are in the water.
And never, ever leave your child in the care of another child (unless the older one is 15 or so). All it takes is 30 seconds of distraction to create a tragedy.