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The American Pediatric Association used to recommend waiting until a child turns four-years-old to start swimming lessons. But that stance has now changed because experts say lessons can save lives of toddlers and even babies.
Nearly 100 babies will graduate next week from here at Jan Thomas Swim School School and some of the youngest swimmers are just 6-months-old. There are programs like this all over the Valley. Parents are encouraged to keep up with safety even after the lessons are over.
This year, new recommendations have brought more parents in for lessons. In the past experts said learning to swim before the age of four gave children a false sense of security in the water and could even cause more drowning deaths. New reports say children with some form of training are less likely to drown if they've had some form of formal training.
A few pool safety tips from the A.P.A. are to never let children swim alone, don't let them swallow pool water, and practice good hygiene in the pool--to prevent getting sick from contaminated water.
