Up to the age of about 18 months, a babys epiglottis will automatically close over and block the throat when it is submerged in water. According to Ian McKinley, a pediatrician at Manchester childrens hospital, this means that a properly supervised baby can be safely allowed to go under the water for short periods (for up to half a minute). However, some baby swimming experts fear that this involuntary action - sometimes known as the gag reflex or the dive reflex - is being misused by untrained teachers. The slam-dunk effect is still going strong, says Thompson. There are teachers who put babies under the water willy-nilly. This may be dangerous, not to mention traumatic for the baby. Good instructors place the emphasis on teaching babies to hold her breath and go under the water voluntarily - if pushed, they may develop new fears rather than gain confidence. Ann Hawley, who trains baby swimming teachers, agrees. She operates a five-second rule: never allow a babys face to be submerged for more than five seconds. (Taken from: theguardian/lifeandstyle/2008/may/27/healthandwellbeing.features) We want our little people to have fun in the water and have a sense of self control in the water. Start with Conditioning and helping our little people to understand breathe control.
Posted on: Tue, 30 Sep 2014 10:36:25 +0000