Babies and water: safety update
From what age can you put a child in the water?
From birth, parents bathe their baby in water at 37 °. To take him to the pool, you have to wait for the second DT polio vaccination, around 4 months in general.
At the seaside, everything depends on the temperature of the water. Be careful not to bathe a very small one in cold water and not to expose it to the sun. Before the age of one, the beach is not very recommended.
How long ?
Up to 6/7 months, a child should not be left more than half an hour in the water at 32 °.
Below this temperature, the bath should not exceed ten minutes, because the heat exchange is done to the detriment of the child who cools very quickly.
For up to 18 months babies can not fight against the cold, so the water should be around 32 ° C (baby's skin temperature).
From 2 to 3 years old, the child is more active in the water and can stay a little longer.
But whatever his age, from the first signs (pallor, violet lips, mottling on the body) it must be taken out of the water, warm it up and give it something to eat.
Are there contraindications?
Yes. In case of respiratory or cardiac problems, sensitivity of the ENT sphere (repeated otitis) or skin infections. But before a child comes in pool, we recommend a medical check of no contraindication.
Vaccines
Before a first bath in a pool, a baby must have received the second DT polio vaccination. Pediatricians administer it between the 3 and 5 months of the child.
Should we put buoys?
With or without a buoy, the presence of parents is always essential because the child needs contact with his parents to feel completely confident.
From a safety point of view, armbands and other buoys should not disempower the parents. As soon as there is a pool or at the seaside, a person must be designated to do the monitoring, even for the big children who can swim (a child can bump into a pool).
Buoys can lead to dramas. In no case should they be substituted for adult supervision.
And comfort side?
It may be advisable to put Huggies' Little Swimmers special diaper on his child to help prevent a possible disaster.
- To find the address of a labeled swimming pool where the baby swimming activity is safely practiced, visit the FAAEL website: www.fael.asso.fr
