Some parents believe that babies can easily take to water since they formed in amniotic fluid. So some parents begin to teach very young infants to 'swim'.
However, there are some very real and dire risks to consider before taking a baby that young into a pool, such as:
- Babies can and do drown every day in backyard pools, even wading pools for kids.
- The heaviest part of a baby is their head. They cannot right themselves to a head up position without help. Because of this, babies can drown in as little as 2-inches of water, such as if they fall head first into a bucket with water. Even adding in the weight of a soggy diaper changes bouyancy.
- They cannot float.
- A baby cannot keep its head above water.
- A baby cannot control and hold their breath.
- A baby will breathe through the nose anytime their mouths are closed which increases the risk of getting fluid into the lungs.
- A baby does not have enough coordination to do meaningful kicking in the water.
- A baby's skin can be severely irritated by chlorine. Babies with red hair and very fair skin can be chemically burned.
- Floatation devices are not sized for infants. They will slip out of them.
- An ADULT must be with an infant, with both hands holding the infant. But even then, babies can slip away from an adult's hands when in water.
- Severe sunburn is also a higher risk for babies when in any sized pool. Babies need sunscreen just like adults but ask your doctor which kind. Sunburn can land an infant in the hospital.
Overall, the risks for an infant when taken into a pool are extremely high.
