Water surrounds the baby for the entire nine months of intrauterine life and during this time it becomes almost a native element for him. Therefore, it is not surprising that many modern parents immediately after birth strive to place their baby in a swimming pool for infants. The benefits and harms of early swimming are the subject of constant debate between pediatricians and parents. Meanwhile, infant swimming has a long history.
Back in 1939, an Australian woman named Timerman, on the advice of her doctor, began taking her baby into the pool with her. The woman noticed that from the first visit the baby began to literally blossom in the water, and then develop much faster than his peers. Soon Mrs. Timerman wrote a book that became a teaching tool for all parents who want to practice infant swimming with their baby.
We will tell you in our article about when and how to start classes in the pool with a baby, what benefits it can have and whether it can cause harm to the child’s body.
When should you start swimming in the pool?
Swimming in the pool with a baby can hardly be called training. This is rather one of ways of early development child, expanding his horizons, developing important skills so that he can feel confident in each of the elements. Parents who have chosen this path of development for their child often face opposition from relatives. The older generation believes that a “dirty” pool is not a place for babies, and acquaintance with it should be postponed until at least three years of age. The main thing that is required from parents is not to deviate from the intended goal and follow the chosen path.
Before bringing your baby to the pool, it is recommended to introduce him to a large home bathtub filled to the brim with water. This can be done from the 3rd week of the baby’s life, that is, when his umbilical wound has completely healed. If parents are afraid or feel unsure, they can invite a specialist to the house. Otherwise, the uncertainty will be passed on to the baby, he may be afraid of the water, which in the future will negatively affect your plans for quickly learning to swim.
Classes in the swimming pool for infants can begin from the age of two months, that is, when he is already completely comfortable in his home bath.
Water temperature and optimal exercise time
An important condition for successful swimming is the selection of the optimal water temperature. A water temperature of 37 degrees is considered comfortable for infants. This is the value you should begin with for your first acquaintance with the pool. It should not be much higher than 37 degrees, otherwise the baby will lie passively and will not want to move. At the same time, too cold water can cause discomfort in the child and he will begin to cry.
It is recommended to gradually lower the water temperature from 37 to 32 degrees, and after 3 months even lower. A baby who is active in the water is in water that is comfortable for him. It is enough for a baby to visit the swimming pool 2 times a week for 10 minutes. From 3 months, the time spent in water can be increased by 15 seconds.
Simple exercises
Exercises in the pool should begin by immersing the baby vertically in the water. While swimming, he is lowered into and out of the water several times. Only after the baby has mastered the vertical position can he be taught to swim horizontally.
A baby pool is a place where you can perform a variety of exercises: both on the back and on the stomach. But you should start learning to swim with the simplest of them:
- Lower the baby into the water in a horizontal position and, supporting the chin with your hand, “roll” the baby along the surface, moving forward. After a few days, at some distance from the baby’s eyes, you can put a duck on the water and try to catch up with it during the exercise.
- The next exercise is performed on the back and consists of bringing the baby in a horizontal position to the side, from which he will push off like a “frog”. This activity will be an excellent training for future walking.
- To develop the vestibular system, it is recommended to perform the “swing” exercise in the pool, the essence of which is to swing the child in the water, supporting his head under the chin.
The benefits of a swimming pool for babies
Various studies both prove the benefits of swimming pools for infants and refute this fact.
The benefits of infant swimming are as follows:
- A swimming pool for a baby is an important stage in its physical development. It has been proven that babies with whom they have been swimming since the age of two months get sick half as often, all signs of muscle tone, rickets, and anemia disappear, and they begin to crawl and walk earlier than their peers.
- Swimming stimulates metabolic processes in the body, strengthens the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, improves sleep and appetite.
- A gradual decrease in the temperature of the water in the pool helps hardening the child, formation of the body's resistance to temperature changes.
- Swimming helps strengthen the musculoskeletal system and develop correct posture.
- From a psychological point of view, swimming classes bring parent and child closer together and establish a close emotional connection between them.
A child who swims from childhood will never experience fear of water as an adult and will maintain a healthy lifestyle throughout his life.
Harm of infant swimming
Recent European studies prove that indoor swimming pools are harmful to the respiratory system of children. According to confirmed information, the risk of developing respiratory tract diseases in children who have been swimming in pools since infancy is several times higher than in those who have not. All the harm of the pool lies in dangerous chlorine compounds, which enter the baby’s body through the respiratory tract or mouth, accumulating in it and causing dangerous diseases.
A swimming pool for babies should be sterile, but since chlorine is dangerous for an immature respiratory system, it is recommended to treat the room with ultraviolet light and filters with quartz sand. When choosing a pool you should pay close attention to this.
- To avoid an “unpleasant surprise” in the pool, purchase special diapers in advance intended for swimming in the pool.
- You should swim in the pool in a special rubber cap, which it is advisable to purchase for a child if necessary. This will help make swimming as safe as possible for infants.
- It is recommended to visit the pool with a baby in the morning. At this time the water will be clearer than in the evening.
Diving in the pool
Diving in the pool is a logical continuation of swimming lessons. After successful training, parents will be able to safely leave their older child to play near water without worrying about the child drowning.
All exercises should be performed sequentially. The main task facing a coach or parent is to teach the baby to hold his breath. To do this, the baby is first sprayed with water in the face. As a result, he holds his breath for 10 seconds. After the child has mastered the exercise, they begin to pour water on him from top to bottom, and then lower him under water for a couple of seconds. As soon as the baby masters short dives, their duration can be increased.
The benefits of swimming have been known for a very long time. Many parents accustom their children to water from childhood, because for them, in the first months of life, it is their native element, and the baby has no fear of water procedures. However, despite the obvious benefits of these activities, parents worry that their child will get sick, walking after training with an under-dried head, and will catch a skin infection in a public pool. We reveal the benefits of swimming.
Start classes Swimming is best done in the summer - this is the optimal time to prepare the body for a new load and temperature changes. Provided regular training, by the fall the child will already have developed a good temperament, and the exercises will bring him unconditional benefits without weakening his immunity.
If you are planning to start training in the winter, then be careful, remember that the child’s body may not be able to cope with the load, and this will lead to frequent illnesses in the child.
At what age can you go to the pool?
When thinking about the topic of the optimal age for training, you need to build on your goals and plans for classes: to teach various styles, and when focusing on professional training, it is better to send your child to a section from the age of 5-6, to acquire basic swimming skills and the ability to hold on water - from 3, 4 months.
Why does a child need lessons in the pool?
By immersing in water, the child’s body begins to get used to temperature changes, and it is easier to tolerate peaks of flu and colds.
Regular exercise in the pool develops good posture in children, strengthens muscles and perfectly relieves psychological tension and stress. Classes are especially recommended for children with increased excitability and cerebral palsy.
Like any clubs, swimming provides excellent discipline, allows the child to plan his time and teaches responsibility, and also helps to gain the ability to listen to elders - in this case, the coach.
What do you need for classes?
For training in the pool, your child will need a uniform. For girls, it is better to buy a one-piece swimsuit; for boys, swim trunks are needed. Both of them need a rubber cap, swimming goggles and flip-flops (or any other rubber slippers) with their swimsuit.
It would also be a good idea to buy a children's robe, so that the child can throw it on yourself as soon as you get out of the water.
To take a shower after class, you also need a bath set: a washcloth, shower gel or soap, and a towel.
Before sending your child to class, sign his belongings. Kids love to lose them and forget them.
Don't forget to prepare a medical certificate. It requires the child to pass the necessary tests and obtain permission from the pediatrician.
The following analyzes are needed:
o on the egg-worm,
o for enterobiasis,
o on the skin.
You can also take out special sports insurance for your activities. It will be able to cover your expenses if your child is injured during competitions, training, or even on the way to it. Typically, insurance is provided for a period of one year. When registering, you can indicate the type of activity your child is doing, and if the child attends more than one section, then you can enter all available ones - the cost of insurance will not change depending on the number of sections entered.
Can allergy sufferers go to the pool?
Contrary to the popular belief that swimming pools are contraindicated for allergy sufferers, this is not entirely true. Firstly, if your child is allergic to chlorine, you can choose a pool with a different water treatment - for example, ultraviolet. Secondly, an allergy to chlorine is a rare phenomenon, and if there are deviations, the pediatrician will not issue you a certificate for exercising in the pool.
Visiting the pool is also not recommended if you have an elevated temperature, open wounds or skin diseases. However, if a child has a slight runny nose, not accompanied by a high temperature, then doctors advise not to give up classes, because they will not bring any harm to the child.
Important: before sending the child to the pool for the first lesson, you need to personally make sure that this establishment will be safe for the baby. Also, if you are planning classes with a trainer, then it is better to meet the teacher first “on the shore” and discuss with him the characteristics of your child and the program of his classes.
As for the danger of infection with various infectious and fungal diseases, then you need to warn the child that you should not grab the sides and walls with your hands - as a rule, the maximum amount of harmful bacteria accumulates on them. In any case, thanks to constant disinfection with chlorine or another substance, and with caution, the risk of catching a sore in the pool is reduced to almost zero.
There is nothing better than making exercise a passion for the whole family. Going to the pool together will not only improve the health of your household, but will also bring family together and provide another reason for wonderful memories.
Interview conducted by Inna Sablinskaya
I just recently told you that we started going to the pool with our baby. But the longer we visited him, the more questions I had. So I decided to ask all these questions to a specialist. I addressed my questions to the doctor and lecturer Elena Berezovskaya. And she, fortunately, agreed to answer my questions on the topic: “Swimming for children.” If you are visiting the pool with your baby, or are planning to do so, then you should definitely read this interview, because the specialist gives valuable advice especially for you.
At what age can you start swimming?
You can go swimming from the first weeks of life, in fact immediately after the umbilical wound has healed, if the baby is healthy and does not require special care, or is not in a hospital setting. My daughter started swimming at three weeks old.
The fact is that newborns up to six months have swim reflex: If you put them in water, they automatically hold their breath and begin to move their arms and legs. Of course, I do not recommend testing this reflex at home without the supervision of an instructor.
Once upon a time, in Soviet times, every children's clinic had rooms with baths and pools, where children were taught to swim from the first weeks after birth. The first classes were conducted by an instructor - a nurse or doctor trained to conduct such classes. A large bathtub was filled with warm water, the instructor taught how to properly immerse the child in water, how to support the head, how to teach commands, etc. Usually classes were held 2-3 times a week, and on the remaining days we practiced swimming at home.
At approximately 3-4 months, swimming lessons begin, usually with a group of other parents. By this time, the child has excellent control over the water and dives on command. Classes in the pool mean communication (interaction) with other children and more independent movements, of course, not without the support of mom or dad, who are always nearby in the water.
An interesting incident happened when my daughter was about 3-4 years old. She accidentally fell into a deep, almost two-meter spring-well with cold water. Her husband grabbed her by the end of her dress in time and pulled her out of the water. Imagine our surprise that the girl not only did not choke or cough, but was not even afraid of being under water. All her dissatisfaction was about the wet dress, which was no longer elegant.
It was not possible to go swimming with my son immediately after his birth - there was real devastation in the country, the swimming pools were closed, and there was no water or electricity in the house. But as soon as the opportunity arose to go to a river or lake, we taught the child to swim. Real training in the pool began at the age of 6, and my daughter, who by that time was eight years old, became the first serious swimming instructor. She taught her brother how to properly dive into the water, how to dive, and hold his breath, and soon the children played in the water at ease and without fear.
Watching my own children, I was surprised that they most often rested not on the surface of the water, but sinking to the bottom of the pool. That is, they felt much safer underwater when they needed rest. The children's favorite game was the shark game - they imitated a shark, putting their hand to their head (like a fin) and swam around the pool, practically completely hidden under water, with the exception of the “fin”. No adult has been able to survive underwater for so long.
A little later, I sent the children to swimming at the cultural and sports center, but in order for them to learn other, sports, swimming styles. Within a few years, the children reached the highest level of classes and could already be swimming instructors, although they were still teenagers in age. I never set a goal to make champions out of children - they chose all sports activities of their own free will and, if they did not like some activities, they were not forced to attend. You always need to think about the health benefits, including mental health, and not just physical. After all, if you force a child to engage in sports activities, he may develop a lifelong dislike for physical education and sports.
What should water be like at home?
Firstly, start with a good bath cleaning. The bath should be clean, but try to use natural cleaning liquids or ordinary baking soda. Secondly, there should be no drafts in the bathroom, so keep the door closed when the child is there. Thirdly, it is advisable that you have an assistant, because if you need a towel or something else, you will not have to turn your back to the child and leave him alone in the water. But if you don't have help, prepare everything in advance - the towel should be in such a place that you can easily reach out with one hand and grab it quickly.
Now about water. It should be neither hot nor cold. Although they suggest using thermometers, I often determined the temperature of the water (its comfort zone) according to the old custom - by immersing my elbow in the water. The ulnar nerve is located in the area of the elbow on the surface (therefore, when we hit our elbow, we experience almost hellish pain). This means that the sensitivity of this part of the body to the temperature factor is very high. If you feel comfortable when immersing your arm (elbow) in the water, then this is a comfortable temperature for swimming. Please note that you are not bathing a child, but teaching him to swim, and this is not the same thing. A little later, you can slowly lower the water temperature, but not too much.
Since I didn’t trust the purity of the water in our water supply systems, I added a solution of potassium permanganate to the water (the water was so rusty and dirty that I somehow didn’t want to immerse the child in it without being on the safe side). Now there is no such need.
What not to use at home? Never use soaps or soap suds. The child will float, not bathe! I do not recommend using chemicals and solutions. It is better to have a filter than to disinfect water with chemicals.
P Before swimming, it is necessary to warm up the child’s muscles, so a small body massage is performed, which is usually taught by a swimming instructor. Hand movements should be careful so as not to cause unpleasant sensations in the child. After 5-7 minutes of “warm-up”, classes begin in the bath.
When can I start using the school swimming pool (with chlorine)?
There are so many rumors about chlorine! It is quite safe, although it may cause dry and irritated skin in some people. Therefore, there are certain rules when visiting the pool.
First, you need to take a quick, warm shower before entering the pool. Water washes away dirt and sweat and moisturizes the skin. It is not necessary to use soap (I do not recommend it, if only because the skin is covered with a fatty protective lubricant, so it is still not rational to remove it with soap before entering chlorinated water). After the pool, you should always take a shower using neutral soaps and shampoos (for children), then dry your skin well, dry your hair, and put on clean underwear. If necessary, you can use Vaseline and other creams to prevent dry skin. It is advisable to have several pool towels and always use clean ones. After exercising in the pool, you should always stay indoors for 20 to 30 minutes to “cool down” and not go outside, even in the summer. This time can be used to read books, for example.
It is impossible to get an infection in the pool, since chlorination of water prevents the growth of many microorganisms and fungi, but is quite safe for the human body. Of course, the child must be taught not to swallow water. It is important to teach the rules of hygiene - never use someone else’s towels and underwear, do not sit with your exposed external genitalia on benches and chairs, especially wet ones, and do not use someone else’s washcloths in the shower. Also, when immersed in water, children and adults often experience the urge to urinate. Teach your child not to urinate in the water (even secretly from his parents) - it is better to take the child to the toilet first. So many skills can be taught to children at an early age.
And classes in the pool can be started at any age - if parents and children wish. I go to the sports complex next door to my house and always see children from 2 to 16 years old swimming in the pool. Of course, there are different classes - both with and without instructors. There are family days when all family members can swim together.
Is it possible to combine swimming with other sports?
You can combine any sports activities, but it is always important to remember that in total these activities should not be exhausting when the child becomes overtired. It is also important that the child himself enjoys playing sports. Not every boy can become a hockey player, and not every girl can become a gymnast.
Nowhere do they teach parents the important elements of a child’s physical training. All types of physical activity can be divided into dynamic, static and mixed. Dynamic sports activities imply a rapid intense loss of energy - movement, dynamics. Typically, such activities involve speed and a large number of movements: running, jumping, football, basketball, gymnastics, etc. Static sports are associated with loads on the muscles at a slow pace - here less energy is lost, but muscle mass increases: bodybuilding, lifting weights. This includes yoga and a number of oriental sports. Karate can be both dynamic and static. Playing chess, for example, is also considered a certain sport, but in this case it is a warm-up for the brain.
Swimming has the unique ability to be both a dynamic and static sport., because you can swim at speed, or you can do synchronized swimming, which also requires elements of dance and gymnastics. Swimming lessons are recommended for pregnant women, because in and on the water women can learn to relax, which is important for childbirth, to breathe and hold their breath correctly, to do exercises without putting much strain on the stomach and spine. Children can also practice different types of swimming. And swimming is especially useful for those who suffer from some kind of disease of the musculoskeletal system, after injuries and bone fractures.
If a child is overtired, it is advisable to limit sports activities. After all, walks in the park or forest are no worse than playing sports. On weekends, my children and I could walk 10 to 20 km a day along forest paths, and it was a real family holiday when children and parents could spend several hours together. That's why I always advise parents the following: if your child can't go to the gym, walk him for at least 30 minutes every night after dinner or before bed. This will benefit both the child and you.
How many days after illness can children resume swimming?
It all depends on the type of illness and the degree of its impact on the child, or in other words, how debilitating the illness was. Usually the children themselves are excellent indicators of improvement in their condition - as soon as the child gets better, he begins to move more. Of course, parents should be on guard of their health.
I was shocked by the death of a Canadian 13-year-old boy from swine flu in October 2009. Far fewer people died from swine flu than from seasonal flu. The problem is not a fashionable diagnosis, but that the parents, knowing that the child had the flu, forced him to participate in prestigious hockey competitions that took place all day. Of course, the boy's death was shocking because it was quick, and both the parents and the press tried to blame medicine, because the doctor diagnosed it as a regular flu, not swine flu. But few of those writing in newspapers and shouting on TV mentioned other facts of this story: the parents knew that the boy had a cold, that he had an elevated body temperature and general weakness, nevertheless, having “stuffed” him with painkillers and antipyretic drugs, they forced the child participate in three games of the hockey tournament. When the boy returned home, he was not only sick, but also completely exhausted energetically - the outcome was terrible. Death occurred within a few hours. I gave this example because parents themselves often underestimate the seriousness of the situation, and children are often afraid to contradict their parents so as not to hear reproaches and humiliation.
Try to communicate with your child and ask him about his health. A healthy child enjoys his surroundings to the world. The sick child is depressed and weak. Physical education teachers, coaches, instructors should be warned about the illness suffered by the child, so the loads should be smaller with a slow increase in the duration of classes and the magnitude of the loads. Sometimes this recovery period lasts several weeks or even months.
That's all the questions for today. I received very extensive and intelligible answers to my questions. I hope that you also received a lot of useful information.
Interview with the head of aquatic programs at the Blockbuster fitness center, infant swimming specialist Victoria Tesley.
From how many months and days can you bring your baby to swim?
You can come almost from three weeks. After the moment when the umbilical cord heals. Before doing this, you can consult your doctor. If there are no contraindications, you can safely come. The first lesson takes place in the bathroom, that is, water is drawn individually for each child, with a special water temperature, with special cleaning (charcoal and sand). In principle, after the child adapts to the water and the temperature conditions, we gradually lower the temperature. The first time a child starts swimming, the water temperature is 36 degrees. Gradually, the water temperature is raised to 31 degrees so that there is benefit and benefit for the child. If we see that the baby is already adapted, he feels good at this water temperature, we transfer him to “big water”. Big water is a children's pool. There is a greater range of motion, you can perform more useful exercises (gymnastics, aqua gymnastics).
Tell us about the criteria by which you determine exercises for your baby?
The first criterion is age. Either it's three weeks, or it's a month, or two. Naturally, there are contraindications. A child up to three months old has unconditioned reflexes. That is, based on reflexes, exercises are compiled - for each child individually.
Please tell us about contraindications?
In principle, there are not many of them - heart disease, intracranial pressure (but, in principle, you can consult a doctor and highlight certain exercises), purulent skin diseases, temperature above 37 degrees.
What are the benefits of swimming? This is a question that parents are guided by: is it worth doing this or not?
Worth it, definitely. This is one of the methods of early child development. We develop his intellectual sphere through movements. Water has such a property as three-dimensional pressure, that is, water affects almost the entire body. Skin receptors perceive this impact and send a signal to the cerebral cortex, where the baby forms a new neural connection. The brain of a child from 0 to one year is still fully formed. The first to form are the frontal lobes, which are responsible for motor skills and movement. After this, all the others are gradually formed, which are responsible for the remaining functions and mechanisms of development of the child’s body. We develop the cardiac system, pulmonary system, and raise the psycho-emotional background. If the child is very excitable, then water acts in the opposite direction. And, just the opposite: if the child is very calm, then the psycho-emotional background rises thanks to swimming. Plus, it is very useful to engage in such swimming for children who have diseases such as cerebral palsy, early childhood autism, and various delays in psychomotor development. The results are obvious, almost after the fifth lesson very good results are observed. Of course, depending on the degree: if a child attends classes at least twice a week, then a positive result is observed within a month. The visible result is that the dynamics are always visible.
Is there a norm for attending classes: how many times a week?
Of course there is: at least twice a week. Classes are held depending on age. For example, if the baby is under two or three months old, the first ten lessons last from 15 to 20 minutes. In subsequent months, classes can last up to 40 minutes to an hour. We look at the child, he is our indicator, and we can see from him whether he is healthy or not healthy. Based on this, we build our classes.
What should you pay attention to when choosing a center or specialist for the development of infants?
If you have a very small baby. Let's say, starting from a month, you should inquire: firstly, ask about the specialists, ask for opinions, find out what the guys completed, talk to the parents whose children they have already worked with, find out about the results that were obtained. Regarding the center, it should definitely be a specially equipped room, which includes a bathroom, where there is a changing table, where there are all the hygiene items that are necessary for such a small baby.
Tell us about the process of a child’s adaptation to water?
When a baby comes to us for the first time, our main task is to teach him to hold his breath. There is a certain technique that we follow: it is a sublimation of all the techniques that have existed throughout the history of infant swimming. This technique is very gentle, loyal, there are no stressful situations. The baby first spends some time in the bathroom - with the help of special supports. After that, we teach him to hold his breath without immersing him under water: this can be either blowing or watering plus a command. Over time, the baby begins to get used to this command and holds his breath. They poured water on the child, gave the command, he closed his eyes, we heard a deep breath, and we already know that the baby is ready. After that, we gradually begin to water it after the command. If there is a positive result, we try to dive (literally for half a second). The baby cannot drink water in any way, because when he holds his breath, an air plug is created, which does not allow such an opportunity. They taught us to hold our breath, lower it for one second, for a couple of seconds. And only after that we gradually begin to let him go. What is it for? So that the child floats freely. When we begin to let go of the child from our arms, we watch him very carefully: when the child feels his hands, he is confident; if he does not feel support in the form of hands, he may react a little differently (but this cannot be called fear), so we carefully we observe. We release the baby gradually: at first slightly, then longer. Some babies feel comfortable without support almost immediately and float in the water. Some children are a little worried and may whine, but we, of course, calm them down and continue our lesson. The child was adapted in the bathroom, then moved to the pool with the addition of aqua gymnastics - this is a specific set of exercises specially designed for each age, based on reflexes and psychomotor development. After we have learned to hold our breath, we have at least three positions in diving: the safest is a side dive (the child touches the water with his cheek and nose, he does not have time to take in water); the second position is when we release the baby horizontally (this is more difficult, because the water directly enters the nose), the first moments can be very unpleasant, the child may sneeze, may frown, because the water irritates the nasal mucosa, but over time, children adapt and react normally to water; the third option is when the child is already immersed vertically (this is the most difficult thing). After that we start teaching him to swim. The child is in front of the instructor, the instructor moves backwards, releases the baby, and the baby floats calmly for 5-7 seconds, then we lift him up. They pressed us close, hugged us, and everything was going very well!
Read the continuation of the interview with an infant swimming specialist on our portal very soon.
Prepared by Svetlana Storozhuk
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