Infant swimming: at what age is it best to start and what else do parents need to know?

In Russia there are more than two thousand swimming pools for children. Every year there are more of them, as well as parents who decide to enroll their child in swimming at an early age. Let's figure out the benefits and harms of infant swimming, as well as at what age you can start it.

What you need to know about infant swimming

Infant swimming - health-improving activities for children under one year old in the pool. With the help of a trainer and parents, the baby masters exercises: diving, pushing off with legs, swimming on his back and others. All this helps the child’s physical development, strengthens muscles and even calms him down.

It is believed that exercise in the pool helps children with increased muscle tone, disorders of the nervous system and disabilities. But there are also contraindications to such activities. For example, skin diseases, seizures and other pathologies. In any case, recommendations or contraindications are determined by a pediatrician.

Contrary to popular belief, infant swimming is not aimed at mastering a skill, that is, at a later age the child will need to be taught to float again. Babies under one year old only show reflex movements and do not swim. It is believed that children can begin to fully master this skill from the age of 4.

Swimming also does not have a proven effect on improving the health of infants, as scientific research has shown. But there is another, not the most obvious, plus: classes strengthen the bond between parent and child, calm them down and help fight the fear of water.

Pros and cons of infant swimming

Like any other activity, infant swimming has pros and cons. It is easier to understand whether such activity is suitable for your baby by consulting with your pediatrician.

Advantages of infant swimming:

1. It helps to establish a trusting relationship between a child and a parent, this has been proven by specialist research

2. Allows you to get used to being in the water, fight the fear of water

3. Strengthens the muscle corset, improves coordination and sense of balance

4. Hardens if the water temperature in the pool is low

5. Has a positive effect on sleep and even appetite.

Disadvantages of infant swimming:

1. Can become a source of stress, for example, during diving

2. Relatively high cost of subscriptions

3. There is a possibility of catching an infection in the water.

At what age can you start infant swimming

You can start exercising in the pool from a very early age, literally two to three weeks. The key limitation is that you must wait until the umbilical wound heals. Typically, complete healing occurs by the 20th day of birth, but in some children this occurs a little earlier or later.

At about 4 months, the baby begins to lose the unconditioned swimming reflex. It is especially pronounced from birth and helps hold your breath or move in water. The reflex is just useful when practicing infant swimming. Over time, it fades away, and the child completely loses these skills by the age of six months.

Therefore, it is believed that the best age to start training with infants in water is 1.5-3 months.

How to prepare for infant swimming

If the pediatrician has not identified any contraindications to swimming, you need to obtain documents. They will be required at the center where the classes are held.

We are talking about a certificate 083/4-89 from a pediatrician stating that the baby is healthy. A negative test for worm eggs may also be required. If mom or dad want to swim with their baby, they will also need certificates and tests. In any case, a complete list of required documents will be announced by the center providing the services.

Choose the pool that suits you, making sure that the sanitary standards are strictly observed. Children's pools not only chlorinate the water, but also use additional cleaning methods. Ask the center how exactly the water is purified. Specialists must have specialized education - ask for information about this as well.

Whether to go swimming with a baby or not - parents decide after consulting with a pediatrician. If there are no contraindications, swimming in the pool can be an excellent opportunity to improve sleep and appetite, strengthen your baby’s muscles, and just have fun and useful time together.