Pools and other bodies of water are high-risk environments for infants. Drowning is a leading cause of death for youngsters in the United States, and rates are highest for infants from 12 to 24 months. In sunbelt states such as Arizona, Florida, California and Texas, drowning is the leading cause of death for infants. An estimated 5 to 10 million infants and preschool kids participate in aquatic programs, but there aren't any statistics to show whether such programs make a difference in the number of drownings. The American Academy of Pediatricians is concerned that the classes might give parents a false sense of security.
AAP Recommendations
Since 1985, the American Academy of Pediatricians has issued recommendations for the safety of infants and toddlers when they are in the water. The recommendations urge caution concerning the level of safety that aquatic programs for infants and toddlers are capable of providing. The AAP states: "Programs that claim to make children safe in water or safe from drowning are misrepresenting what is possible and giving parents a false sense of security about their child's safety in the water."
Age
The AAP recommends that formal swimming lessons wait until after your child turns 4, the age at which most developmental experts believe kids are ready to learn to swim. That recommendation runs contrary to the belief of organizations with aquatic programs for infants and toddlers. The Baby Swimming website, which supports teaching swimming to infants and toddlers as young as 6 to 12 months, says they might not be able to swim in a traditional sense, using the crawl or breaststroke, but many can "move harmoniously through the water" -- which is one definition of swimming -- using dog paddle types of strokes.
Safety
The AAP recommends that infant and toddler aquatic programs not be promoted as a way to prevent young kids from drowning. Furthermore, parents should not feel more secure about the safety of their infant or toddler in water after he has completed such a program. Baby Swimming agrees that parents should not become complacent, but suggests that an infant or toddler who is familiar with the water is more likely to survive in a pool than an infant or toddler who has never experienced the water.
Touch Supervision
The AAP recommends that an adult provide "touch supervision" any time an infant or toddler is in the water. Touch supervision means an adult is within touching distance of an infant or toddler at all times. Although Baby Swimming doesn't use the term "touch supervision," it does say, "Utmost caution must always be in effect in and around water."
