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Water Babies
The Pros and Cons of Infant Swimming Lessons
By Melinda Copp
Studies have shown that breathing these chemicals can contribute to the development of asthma. Luckily, some methods drastically reduce the need for chlorine. The two main alternative methods are ozone and UV sanitation. Salt water and bromine are two other methods that some pools use. However, salt water is actually used to create chlorine from salt rather than adding the chemical directly, so the pools that use saltwater still contain chlorine. And bromine can form bothersome byproducts just like chlorine, and in some studies, bromine has been shown to bind in the thyroid in place of iodine. So while these alternatives are better, they aren't as safe as ozone or UV, Haiden says.
"The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends waiting until at least age 4 to start swimming lessons for the purpose of actually learning to swim," Haiden says. "But for the purpose of acclimating a young child to water, there appears to be more room for personal discretion."
Having fun and learning water safety are two very important pros to baby swimming lessons, but your little one may be too little to grasp the concepts and, depending on how the pool is cleaned, the chemicals may not be completely safe. Although there are some cons to enrolling your baby in swimming lessons, one thing is for sure: Getting your child comfortable around the water as soon as possible can lead to a lifetime of loving to swim and being safe around water.
"I had my daughter (who is now 3) in the pool at 6 weeks old," says Bruce Mendelsohn, a dad from Auburn, Mass. "Granted, she wasn't swimming them, but she has since become quite the little fish."
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