Eye On The Future
Today, just in the United States, approximately 100 infants and young children will fall into the water, most in their own backyard pool. Of those, 11 will be pronounced dead right away, 66 will be rushed to the emergency department, and 33 will be admitted to the hospital. Unfortunately, some will die later of near-drowning complications; some will live with various levels of neurological complications, and their lives will be filled with medical uncertainties. Many of these tragedies happen for reasons that are clearly controllable. For instance, parents don’t always keep a constant eye on their children around pools. They might have a pool fence that they think their child cannot climb, but often the child is successful at exploring the pool. Often, parents thing that they always close the sliding door, activate the alarms, remove the patio furniture and toys from the pool deck, and close and lock the backyard or pool fence gates, and they are always sure that if they leave the baby unattended around the pool area, it is “only for a second.” Unfortunately, it only takes a second for tragedy to strike.
The solution to this huge problem is education. We must recognize the problem, study it, and then educate everyone who has a viable contribution to ensure that this epidemic is brought under control. Who are those people? They consist of the pediatrician and the parent, as well as the person closest to the problem, the baby.
Pediatricians have received little or no effective training in water accident prevention. Their own literature indicates this and that the solution to the problem is in the realm of experts in the behavioral sciences.
Parents think that supervision and a few safety devices around their pool, along with their intention of always being there for their baby, is a solution that is reinforced in every day that their baby does not drown.
Today, many young children participate in some form of formal swimming lessons. They take lessons of various descriptions in municipal and public pools, apartment complexes, YMCA facilities, home owner association private pools, backyard pools, and in, increasing numbers, at health clubs.
The Internet is full of information about infant swimming lessons, and there are a few organizations listed that claim to be “the standard of excellence” and are advancing the ideals of safe and effective swimming instruction for infant and young children. Just as in the early days of the personal training industry, there are associations that claim to certify instructors with no real standards to measure success. However, there are organizations that have very rigid standards that train and certify instructors, continue with the education of their instructors, serve to advance the industry of infant aquatics.
The purpose of this article is to educate you about a number of lesson formats and to help you understand the intent for each lesson along with some pros and cons for each approach.
There are roughly six categories of infant aquatics recognized today in the United States. Some are benign, some are effective, and some are dangerous. In addition, there is a tremendous range of expertise and abilities among the different approaches and their instructions. You need to study the literature, observe and interview the program, and be diligent about the personnel who are offering these programs in this tremendously expanding industry.
The programs are as follows:
1. structured play
2. water adjustment classes
3. swimming readiness
4. swimming
5. aquatic survival
6. modified adult stroke and teaching techniques
Structured Play
In structured play classes, games are used to introduce the underwater and in-water experience that might be needed for later skill.
Pros: The child becomes very comfortable in the water.
Cons: The child has no skills but an affinity for and “loves” the water; possibility of overconfidence.
Water Adjustment
In water adjustment classes, a leader directs activities with groups of parents and babies in the water to promote parent-baby bonding and trust in the water.
Pros: The child is happy in the water and learns that swimming and being in the water is a social situation.
Cons: The child has no skills in the water and associates to love, nurturance, affection, and attention of the parent with the water, with the possibility of the child seeking the water looking for the parent.
Swimming Readiness
Swimming readiness classes use significant flotation devices to allow active exploration of the water and movements in the water.
Pros: The child is happy and enjoys the water as long as the floatation devices are worn. The sense of independence in the water is large.
Cons: The reliance on artificial flotation devices has initial learning issues, and the postures that are used in required in free swimming.
Swimming
Swimming classes for younger children rely upon the use of floatation devices that are not garments, such as kickboards or “noodles,” to promote the dog-paddle stroke (or “head up swimming”).
Pros: Physical strength and stamina are increased because moving through the water with these postures demands it. Swimming face down with a breath hold becomes easier than “swimming” with devices.
Cons: The reliance upon and motor memory created by the use of these devices and the transition to a dog-paddle strokes is difficult to overcome. Once learned in this manner, an aquatic panic will usually bring the inefficient stroke back (particularly in clothes). The problem usually will not be solved.
Aquatic Survival
In aquatic survival classes, a highly educated instructor uses behavioral technology to shape age-related efficient locomotion through the water and self-rescue methods.
Pros: When the infant can crawl, operant conditioning can be used to teach basic aquatic survival skills. When the baby can walk, swimming behaviors can be shaped and practiced. There is a 95% retention rate after 1 year of no lessons.
Cons: It is expensive and time intensive (6 weeks for 30 lessons and approximately $400). However, some parents have a difficult time initially seeing their baby working in an independent learning situation.
Modified Adult Stroke and Teaching Techniques
Some classes use modified adult stroke and teaching techniques to repeatedly test and select those infants and young children who through precocious motor skills are able to move themselves through the water.
Pros: A few strong and highly coordinated older infants will pick up some skill through repetition of underwater trials rather than through instruction. The sense of accomplishment is significant because these students figure out how to solve some of the problem themselves.
Cons: Most of this defines aquatic trauma. Some infants are very frightened of the water after the trials even if they get some skills. Almost none of the students learn a back float to rest and breathe posture because they are so tense and stressed in the water. Someinfants and parents cannot tolerate the trial and error procedures. Programs that throw babies into the water can and have injured students.
Daniel J. Lynch, M.S., has been in the health and fitness business for 31 years and is currently president of Matrix Fitness Centers. He can be reached at Dan_Lynch@MatrixFitnessCenters.com. Mr. Lynch is an associate editor of ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal.
Letters to the editor can be sent to:
Lawrence A.Golding, Ph. D at
Email lagolding@aol.com
Fax (702) 895-4191
Or return mail
Lawrence A. Golding, Ph.D FACSM
University of Nevada – Las Vegas
College of Health Sciences
4505 Maryland Parkway
Box 453034
Las Vegas, Nevada 89154-3034
Special Note:
A signature, full address and daytime phone number should be included.
Please make letters brief (no more than 300 words); They may be edited for reasons of clarity or space. Letters may appear in print or on ASCM’s site on www. ACSM.org
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