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From: beth@gymble.UUCP (Beth Katz)
Newsgroups: net.kids
Subject: Re: infants in water
Message-ID: <214@gymble.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 3-Aug-85 19:40:13 EDT
Article-I.D.: gymble.214
Posted: Sat Aug  3 19:40:13 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 6-Aug-85 05:58:40 EDT
References: <538@tekigm.UUCP> <27100034@gypsy.UUCP>
Reply-To: beth@gymble.UUCP (Beth Katz)
Organization: U of Maryland, Laboratory for Parallel Computation, C.P., MD
Lines: 19

Bob Schwanke writes:
>Pediatricians are divided on whether extensive swimming training for
>children under 4 is healthy.  I know I read a reliable article somewhere
>pointing to  increased incidence of related health problems.  So check with
>your pediatrician.

With the usual caveats because I am not a parent and I do not have
any scientific proof beside myself, I'd like to disagree with the
first part of Bob's note.  My mother had me around the pool and in
the water by the time I was seven months old.  My siblings and I
all knew how to swim very early (definitely before age four.)  We
never had any related health problems and my parents felt a lot better
about us being around pools.  I don't know what you mean by "extensive"
swimming training (20 laps every day at age 3 using a variety of
strokes? :-) ), but basic survival swimming should keep a child from
panicking if she falls into the water.  I agree, however, that you
might want to check with your pediatrician especially if your child
has ear, nose, throat, or eye problems.
					Beth Katz