rws@gypsy.UUCP (08/01/85)
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. Bob Schwanke Siemens Research Princeton, NJ 08540-6668 seismo!princeton!siemens!rws
beth@gymble.UUCP (Beth Katz) (08/04/85)
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
sophie@mnetor.UUCP (Sophie Quigley) (08/08/85)
> 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. No, I'm not a parent, but I used to be fanatical about swimming, and am still somewhat interested in it. What I have heard about the matter is that most of the health problems are related to the habbit of teaching very young children to swim with their faces and heads in the water. Of course it is pretty difficult to swim properly without having one's face in the water, but in the case of toddlers, who cares... -- Sophie Quigley {allegra|decvax|ihnp4|linus|watmath}!utzoo!mnetor!sophie