There is little justification for infant "swimming" or water adjustment programs. However, a growing number of programs promoting infant swimming can be found across the country, and they claim a variety of benefits such as enhancing parent-child communication and other "values". Giardiasis transmission2 and water intoxication with seizures3-8 make these programs somewhat hazardous. It is unlikely that infants can be made "water safe"; in fact, the parents of these infants may develop a false sense of security if they believe that their infant can "swim" a few strokes.
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Copyright © 1985 by the American Academy of Pediatrics
1985