Swimming Instructions for children

Researchers estimate up to 10 million infants and preschoolers in the U.S. have participated in some kind of formal swimming instruction. However, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) doesn’t recommend swimming instruction until after age 5. AAP experts say infants and toddlers may not be able to adequately understand the real dangers of water and the need to take safety precautions.

Now, a new study questions the wisdom of waiting to teach young children to swim. In the March issue of the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, researchers report an 88 percent reduction in the risk for drowning in children one to four who had received formal swimming lessons. The benefits seem to be limited to young children because formal instruction didn’t affect drowning rates for children 5 to 19. Researchers also found that informal instruction (i.e., through mom, dad, etc.) had no effect on drowning rates at any age.