Child safety in pools: Babies learn to be water aware in UAE

Name: Child safety in pools: Babies learn to be water aware in UAE
Uploaded: 2019-06-28T18:13:26+04:00
Description: Awareness campaigns are on in the UAE to get more kids used to water from an early age

Awareness campaigns are on in the UAE to get more kids used to water from an early age

Last updated: June 28, 2019 | 18:13

Ahmed Ramzan, Gulf News Photographer

2 MIN READ

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Vital seconds bought from early pool exposure

After several child drownings, Gulf News photographer Ahmed Ramzan hit the pool to discover the importance of early water awareness lessons. Not only do toddlers learn how to hold their breath, float and roll on to their backs, but they gain respect for the pool and associate the activity as something only safe to do when parents are around.

Instructors give toddlers, accompanied by their parents, a feel of the water at Swimming Wonders at Hilton Hotel in Dubai.

Parent and child classes also help with bonding and educate the parents on how to handle children in water.

Experts say exposing babies to water is important otherwise they will be terrified of it by the time they begin swimming lessons from the age of two to three, when their bodies are developed and ready to swim.

The American Association of Paediatrics recommends that kids start swimming lessons around the age of one.

Water familiarisation should be encouraged, experts say, while swimming lessons from three should be mandatory.

It’s a misconception that babies swallow too much water in pools. The extrusion reflex stops this from happening.

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