Infant Swimming Resources

Overview

Chances are you've heard about a young child drowning in a backyard pool, often when an adult has turned her head only for a moment. It's a sad story that makes parents everywhere stop and wonder how they would deal with such a tragedy. However, this type of accident is preventable if you make use of infant swimming classes that teach your child how to survive in the water and propel himself to safety.

The Facts

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), children 14 and younger make up more than 25 percent of all fatal drowning victims; and in 2005, of all the kids between 1 and 4 who died, nearly 30 percent of them drowned. That makes drowning the second-leading cause of accidental death for children ages 1 to 14. Having your baby learn how to swim will greatly lessen the chance of her being one of those victims.

Prevention

The CDC says that lack of supervision and barriers are factors in most child drownings. Infants less than 1 year old drown most often in bathtubs, toilets or buckets, whereas for kids 1 to 4 years old, drowning is most likely to happen in a residential swimming pool, when they've been out of sight for less than 5 minutes. Fencing around your pool, or other barriers such as alarms, can stop your child from getting into the pool area on his own.

Solution

Of course, you can't always control what happens at other people's homes. That's why swimming lessons are an important resource for your baby, and they're offered by certified instructors at many community pools, gyms and health clubs. In these types of classes, you will usually be in the water with your child and the instructor, who will work with you to get your baby comfortable and trusting in the water.

Expect up to eight other parents and their babies in the class with you; if class sizes are larger than that, the instructor won't be able to give you the individual attention you need, unless she has an assistant teacher.

Skills Learned

The main skills your baby will learn are how to hold her breath underwater, come to the surface and roll onto his back to float on his own. He will usually only have his face underwater for a few seconds at a time, as the main goal is to have him on his back, relaxed and breathing freely. He will do this both in a swimming diaper and fully clothed to mimic a real-life situation. You will probably also practice bringing him into the pool from a position sitting on the edge, and giving him a cue to prepare to go underwater.

Result

When first being introduced to a pool and going underwater, it's natural for babies to cry. However, even through tears, they can learn to trust their ability to float. Once your child learns to relax in the water rather than fight or thrash about, she will know what to do if she accidentally falls in. She will also become more confident and competent in the water. A baby that can walk is able to learn the additional skill of propelling herself forward while holding her breath and kicking, and then roll onto her back again to rest.

Precaution

If you see your baby competently turning onto his back to float in the water, you will become more confident in his survival abilities. However, don't ever let him be in the pool on his own, even for a few minutes. Swimming skills are never a substitute for adult supervision.