In Chicago, Dr. Jeffrey Weiss of Phoenix Children’s Hospital is recommending a policy allowing one year old children to take swimming lessons provided some safety rules are observed. Connie Harvey, head of Aquatics Development, American Red Cross, suggests that classes should comply with water safety and a guardian or parent should accompany the child when in the water. There should be one instructor in ten students. Also, pools should be fenced including those that are inflated. Kids can get drown when they rest on the soft sides of inflated “pools.” Hairs and hands can get sucked into the drain, thus, it should be covered or has a filter-equipment.
What can get kids into trouble, Dr. Weiss warns, is improper supervision. It may be an advantage when kids know how to swim to avoid drowning. But then this policy is not applicable to all since parents should know when their toddlers are ready.
Related posts:
- CDC Finds Public Pools Highly Unsafe
- CDC recommendations in swimming pools and water parks
- The Danger of Public Swimming Pools