Most modern parents have heard about infant swimming - children's rehabilitation in the earliest stages of life. This is the most popular type of physical therapy for children. Massage under the age of 3 months and when the child weighs less than 3 kg is contraindicated. Swimming, on the contrary, is necessary. It is a natural process for infants, since the child was in a liquid environment throughout its entire intrauterine development.
What are the features of early swimming? Who is it shown to? At what age can you start swimming?
Benefit
Water procedures are a unique way to strengthen a baby’s health, develop motor skills, form a muscle corset, strengthen, relax, or, on the contrary, increase activity. Breast swimming helps reduce muscle tone and has a slight massaging effect, increasing local blood circulation and oxygen supply to tissues.
Manipulating a child in water is simple and effective. As a result, a possible increase in lung volume, strengthening of the cardiovascular system, increased endurance, development of the immune system, normalization of intestinal motility (which is important for increased gas formation, colic and constipation), improved appetite, night sleep and general well-being.
Breast swimming is prescribed for hyper- or hypotonicity of muscles, torticollis, some neurological diseases, cerebral palsy, autism and other serious developmental pathologies.
Positive effect on the body
Not many people know that little children can swim perfectly from birth. They can hold their breath and dive, have fun splashing around in the bathtub. This trend is explained by the fact that the baby has an innate reflex, because in the mother’s womb he was in a liquid environment for 40 weeks.
The ability to swim disappears 3 months after birth. Pediatricians recommend doing certain exercises with your child while bathing so that he does not lose the ability to stay afloat. In addition, infant swimming is very beneficial for children's development.
Why swimming is good for babies:
- Regular water procedures are beneficial for anyone, especially young children. This allows the body to more easily learn to deal with temperature changes.
- Systematic exercises contribute to the formation of beautiful and even posture and strengthen the spine.
- Doing exercises at home in the bathroom helps maintain normal hemoglobin levels.
- Diving causes a small amount of water to enter the baby's nose. This is an excellent prevention of a runny nose; this “rinsing” also removes allergens and bacteria from the mucous membrane.
- After bathing, the baby's heart rate improves.
- If you teach your child to swim from a very young age, in the future he will not be afraid of open water.
Contraindications
• allergic reaction to reagents (if lessons are held in public swimming pools);
• injuries and some diseases of the musculoskeletal system (dislocation, subluxation of the hip, etc.);
• severe forms of congenital heart disease;
• infectious and inflammatory processes in the body, fever;
• wounds;
• fungal and other skin diseases;
• epilepsy;
• hydrocephalus;
• vaccination (you can resume training a day after vaccination, if there are no complications).
Techniques and techniques
Water exercises from the cradle are not a new phenomenon. Back in the 80s, during the USSR period, doctor and scientist Zakhary Firsov wrote an instructional book about the benefits of swimming for children under one year old. It was approved by the Ministry of Health.
At the same time, the methodology of Vladimir Guterman , with a detailed description of the training of infants, became widespread. Particularly progressive parents adopted the harsh method of Igor Charkovsky , which still raises doubts today.
Currently, Guterman's technique is recognized as optimal for infants. It assumes the main thing: activities should be enjoyable for the baby. Its application is designed in four stages:
- Preparatory . Includes massage, gymnastics, the elements of which are used first outside the water, then in the bath. Preparation begins on the fifth day after birth and ends at the age of 3 months. During this period, the baby gets used to the water space around him.
- Second period : learning to swim is that over the course of three months the child’s swimming reflexes are strengthened in response to the mother’s commands. The baby masters movement techniques and gradually loses the habit of support.
- Independent swimming . At six months or later, at 9 months, with the support of parents or instructors, the baby swims and dives on his own.
- The final stage is consolidation of skills. An active one-year-old butterfly masters scuba diving and can swim across a small space.
Here's how to hold your newborn while bathing.
The technique includes the following exercises: at the initial stage, the mother leads the child along the bathtub in her arms in different positions and with varying degrees of support. Here are the basic techniques:
- Jumps and turns . Supporting your baby with your hands, bring his feet closer to the wall of the bathtub or pool. Feeling support, he will instinctively push away from it. This will be an incentive for further swimming.
- Splashing . For this exercise, the baby should be placed in a face down position. Mom holds her chin with one hand and pats the surface of the water with the other, asking her to repeat the action.
- Swimming . Position the baby as in the previous exercise. Place a bright toy in front of him and invite the baby to grab it. Repeat several times, constantly increasing the distance between the child and the toy.
- Zigzags and eights . Having mastered swimming in a straight line, move in a zigzag pattern, drawing figure eights. At the same time, turn the little swimmer onto his back and stomach. Using an inflatable ring will make the task easier.
- Swing . Rock the baby up and down while he is lying on his tummy so that he rises and sinks. The baby's head should be completely above the surface of the water.
The strengthened baby walks along the bottom, jumps up, and reaches for a toy. If you follow all the instructions correctly, at one year old or earlier the child will be able to walk, swim and dive.
We invite you to watch how a specialist conducts the first lesson in a regular bath at home with your baby.
Where to begin?
A referral for swimming under compulsory medical insurance is obtained at a children's budget clinic from a pediatrician, neurologist and physiotherapist. In commercial clinics, rehabilitation centers and sports complexes, you may also be asked to see some specialists to draw up an opinion on the child’s condition. They will agree on a class schedule with you (usually twice a week) and provide you with a list of necessary accessories. In the first months of a baby’s life, swimming sessions are carried out in an individual bathtub, similar to a home one, only wider and deeper.
From 6 months (or earlier, if there is no longer enough space in the bath for the child to exercise), the baby is transferred to the general children's pool. And then you, as an accompanying person, will need a medical certificate of health (valid for six months, after which it will have to be renewed). You can get a certificate for the swimming pool at most medical institutions. But even in a city clinic, if you have a compulsory medical insurance policy, you will have to pay for it.
A more expensive option is to invite a specialist in infant swimming to your home.
What should you take with you?
You must take with you to the infant pool
- a doctor's certificate;
- pool diaper or waterproof panties;
- cap;
- large towel;
- liquid baby soap;
- disposable diaper;
- hair dryer;
- water;
- I'm going.
Reference! In the first month of training, your baby will need a circle around his neck or a special cap with pockets for foam.
This will help support the baby's head on the surface.
When to start?
From birth to 3 months, the baby, in addition to swimming skills, retains the ability to reflexively hold his breath when water gets on his face. With the right approach, reflexes can be strengthened and carried into adulthood, making them conscious. To do this, it is better to start swimming as soon as the umbilical wound heals (about 2-4 weeks of life), but no later than 3-4 months, because reflexes finally fade away by this age.
Home font
If you decide to purchase a home pool for your newborn, you should opt for an inflatable tank.
It should be small in size.
Such models are inexpensive, because the cup will only be needed for a short time, since the baby is growing quickly. They deflate easily, are transported from place to place, and can last 2-3 seasons.
You might consider a tank with inflatable walls and several rings that inflate when filled with air. This allows the bath to increase in height.
Attention! When purchasing a swimming pool for an infant, you need to choose a safe and durable material, such as nylon, PVC, or polyester. The product should not have a strong smell, the seams should be rounded so that the baby does not get hurt.
What size should it be?
with a volume of 1 m2 and a depth of no more than 17 cm is considered optimal for infants For children in the second year of life, a bowl with a volume of 2 m2 is suitable.
In this case, the sides and bottom of the bowl must be inflatable so that the child cannot be injured.
Water temperature
Before bathing your newborn, you need to clean the surface of the bathtub with baking soda and then rinse it with hot water. The water temperature should be as comfortable as possible for the baby. Children's doctors recommend gradually reducing it to increase the body's resistance.
Standards:
- During the first lessons, the optimal water temperature is 37 degrees.
- In the fifth lesson, it is permissible to reduce the temperature to 36.5 degrees.
- On the ninth - up to 36 degrees.
- At lesson 14, the water temperature can reach 35.5 degrees.
- At lesson 20 – 35 degrees.
- At lesson 24, the water temperature is 34 degrees.
Thus, gradually, the water temperature decreases to 28 degrees.
On a note! If a child feels relaxed in the water and does not strive to be active, then the water is too warm for him.
Activities with your baby
Before starting swimming, the baby is given a light massage, the child’s back, legs, arms, buttocks are stretched, and light exercises are performed. This will take about 20 minutes.
Before starting classes, it is necessary to introduce the baby to water: hold the baby above the surface of the bath so that he can calmly grab the water with his hands. Next, the child’s body is carefully lowered into the bath in a column.
Typically, water activities include the following complex:
Lower the child's legs into the water, holding him vertically, and lay him on his back. The head is held by hand. They “walk” the baby through the bathroom.- They perform a “wiring” through the water with the child turning onto his stomach.
- A figure eight is performed on the back. The same exercise is done on the stomach.
- They let you splash around in the water.
- The “Swing” exercise is performed while lying on your stomach, simulating swimming back and forth.
The final part of the lesson is diving. First, the child is taught to hold his breath while blowing in his face and saying: “Let’s dive.” After he begins to hold his breath, after these words they begin to splash water on his face, and then pour water from a ladle. After the baby has mastered the technique of holding his breath, you can start diving.
Important! During classes, you need to hold the child's head, making sure that it does not go under the water.
Where to swim?
Choosing a place to study primarily depends on your desires and capabilities. Infant swimming in the bathroom at home provides the most comfortable psychological conditions for the child. In a month, he just adapted to life outside his mother’s belly and formed an immunity to the new environment. And any contact with strangers, be it a coach or a doctor, as well as moving to an unusual place can become stressful for a child - emotional and physical.
In a public place it is impossible to eliminate the risk of contracting a viral infection transmitted by airborne droplets. This is another point in favor of infant swimming at home, but only under the supervision of trained specialists.
What is needed for swimming in a home bath? Having an adult bath. Baby baths are not suitable; It is also difficult to conduct classes in the shower stall due to the insufficient volume of water and space for the child to move freely. It is better to undress and dress infants at home before swimming directly in the bathroom. If conditions do not allow, prepare in advance in the room a diaper and nappies, a thin hat, a vest and rompers, cotton swabs and pads; Sometimes oil may be needed, as some practitioners pre-warm the baby with a gentle massage.
In the bathroom you will be taught how to conduct classes correctly, correctly immerse the child in water, provide support, turn him over, rotate him, and pour him over. You will be asked to repeat all the exercises with your baby yourself. If possible, film lessons on your phone or camera. This way, you can train on your own in between professional classes by watching video cheat sheets.
In sports and medical institutions, infant swimming is initially no different from practicing at home. It is also carried out in a separate bath, filled with water for each baby individually. After each session, the water is drained and the bath is thoroughly disinfected. Therefore, children do not need swim shorts and a cap at this stage.
Until the child’s thermoregulation system is fully formed, he is more susceptible to hypothermia. Therefore, both at home and in the pool, in the room in which infant swimming takes place, the air should be heated to +24°C, and the water temperature should be +36-37°C. At the end of the session, a cold stream is released, under which the instructor several times passes the baby’s legs immersed in warm water. This approach is used to enhance the hardening effect.
After all procedures, blot the child’s body with a terry towel. Wipe the outer side of the ears with a dry cotton swab, place pieces of cotton wool shallowly to absorb excess moisture and prevent the development of otitis media; Wear a thin textile hat. It is recommended to leave the place of classes, if they take place outside the home, no earlier than 30 minutes after their completion, making sure that the child’s body and hair are dry. First, remove your hat and remove the cotton wool from your ears.
Recommendations for parents
Teaching a small child to swim and dive at home in the bathtub is not such a difficult task for parents. Try to adhere to the recommendations presented as much as possible and you will be able to get the maximum benefit from the classes.
Helpful Tips:
- If you have clearly set a goal for yourself that you want to teach your child to swim, you need to start doing this immediately after the umbilical cord has healed. This is approximately 3-4 weeks after birth. At this time, swimming reflexes have not yet disappeared, so it will be easier for the child.
- Purchase in advance such attributes as a hat and a circle around the neck. If you teach your child to float on water in the bathroom at home, then you must do this with a circle - for safety reasons.
- The first few times water training should be carried out at a temperature of 35 degrees. Monitor your child's behavior. The baby may cry for the first minute after immersion; the process of bathing with a circle causes a little discomfort. If he does not calm down for a long time, it means that he is not satisfied with the water temperature.
- Swimming is also beneficial for infants because it strengthens the body. While swimming, the water begins to gradually cool down - this is very good, you should not bring it to 35 degrees again.
- If you plan to train your baby regularly, keep the bathroom clean. Wash it once a week with baking soda and treat it with laundry soap before bathing your baby.
- Swimming is very beneficial for infants, but children can sometimes become capricious. For example, if you don’t get enough sleep or are not in the mood. It is also very important to train your child about an hour after he has eaten. During this period, the milk is already digested, and the baby will not experience discomfort in the stomach.
- If there is no draft in the apartment, pediatricians do not recommend wiping the baby’s body dry after bathing. Dry your child with a dry diaper, this will be enough. Next, the cap and the circle around the neck should be carefully removed.
- Before you practice diving, make sure that the circle is held tightly to your neck and that your cap covers your ears. The child must feel comfortable, otherwise he will be capricious.
Basic Rules
The number of exercises and technique may vary among different specialists. The intensity of the classes depends on the baby’s endurance and well-being, as well as the tasks that need to be solved with the help of infant swimming. The first sessions last no more than 10 minutes. Therefore, there should be an hourglass in a visible place so as not to overtire the child and not catch a cold. After 7-10 lessons, the swimming time is gradually increased.
When you confidently master the program, and your child becomes too busy to exercise in the bathtub, you can start training in the general children's pool. You will need a swimsuit and a swimming cap, and for your baby, diapers or swim shorts. Usually the session lasts half an hour, during which mothers have time to repeat the exercise cycle at least three times. Among the most common tasks for a baby are imitation of walking along the bottom, relaxing the limbs by shaking the arms and legs in a supine position, figure eight on the stomach, rocking from side to side and in a circle, pushing off the side with the legs, rotating the hip and arm, pouring , immersion of face in water, diving. For special children (with autism, cerebral palsy, etc.), training adjustments are possible.
During classes, strictly follow the instructor's recommendations, trying to copy his movements as accurately as possible. The result depends on the correct position of your hands and the child’s body.
Do not leave your child even for a second without your support. Listen carefully to your baby’s mood and well-being: at the first sign of dissatisfaction or malaise, postpone the swimming session until later. Do not show it to your child if you are scared: the baby is acutely aware of your condition and should feel the confidence and calmness emanating from you. Before each douche or dive, warn the child by addressing him by name: “Katya, let’s dive!” Only then take action. A voice command will help you prepare emotionally.
How is swimming good for babies?
From birth, children are already able to swim: they can hold their breath under water and splash with pleasure in the bathtub. This is explained by innate reflexes - before birth, the baby in the mother’s stomach was in a liquid environment. Around three to four months, this innate reaction fades away, and the baby will have to learn to stay afloat much later.
However, the point of such activities with a newborn is not to make him a future Olympic champion. Increasingly, pediatricians are saying that infant swimming brings invaluable benefits .
- Regular water procedures teach children to be calm about temperature changes. Thanks to hardening, the immune system is strengthened, which reduces the likelihood of colds, promotes dynamic physical development and helps prevent a variety of health problems.
- The result of systematic exercise is the formation of correct, beautiful posture, a strong muscle corset for the children's spine.
- Water exercises are much more effective for improving the motor system than massage and stroking. They strengthen or, conversely, relax the muscles of the back, arms, legs and neck. By the way, young swimmers begin to crawl, stand up and walk earlier (which a child of 1 year can do).
- During bathing, when the child has a little difficulty breathing and the body lacks oxygen, the child’s body additionally releases red blood cells (erythrocytes), which contributes to an increase in hemoglobin levels.
- Swimming and diving have a positive effect on the lungs and cardiovascular system, help stimulate blood supply to organs and normalize blood pressure.
- When a child dives, the flowing water clears the maxillary sinuses. And this is the prevention of a runny nose in a newborn. The baby's nose is also washed, all bacteria, dust particles and possible allergens are removed.
- In water, the child calms down and gets rid of fears. Also, water procedures strengthen the bond between mother and baby, devoting time to the baby while swimming, you can better understand his body language and gestures, which will allow you to quickly find mutual understanding with your baby.
- A child taught to swim from birth will not be afraid of open water.
Another undoubted plus is that many children, after swimming and diving, quickly fall asleep and do not disturb the young mother almost all night. Which, you see, is important!
READ ON THE TOPIC:
Rules for swimming with a baby
Teaching a newborn to swim will not be difficult for parents if you follow the basic recommendations.
Optimal age
Training should begin at three to four weeks. Firstly, by this time the umbilical wound is healing. Secondly, the child gains weight and gradually adapts to the new reality. Finally, infant reflexes (swimming and breathing) have not yet faded.
Preparing the bath
All procedures should be carried out in a familiar environment for the baby. Before immersion, wash the bathtub with regular laundry soap, and once a week rinse it with soda, remembering to rinse thoroughly. Be careful with potassium permanganate solution and herbal decoctions - the child may swallow the liquid. After gaining basic swimming skills, you can move on to more advanced lessons - in the pool.
Water temperature
Perform your first workouts at an average temperature of 35 °C. It can be reduced little by little, but remember - small children under three months should not swim in water whose temperature is below 32 °C. To create ideal conditions, monitor children's behavior:
- if the baby cries when immersed for several minutes, the water is too cold for him;
- if he first whines, and then falls silent and actively flounders with his arms and legs, you have selected the optimal temperature;
- if he is too relaxed and passive, the bath is too warm.
While swimming, the water gradually cools down, but do not rush to bring it to its original temperature. This is the meaning of the procedure - the babies are hardened.
Chlorine, bromine, ozone?
What kind of water is better to swim in – with or without the addition of cleaning agents? There are different answers to this question. On the one hand, disinfectants can provoke the development of an allergic reaction in a child, and then classes will have to be stopped. On the other hand, fungal skin diseases, viral hepatitis A, enterobiasis, giardiasis, dysentery, otitis, conjunctivitis, tonsillitis, and, less commonly, polio, ascariasis, etc., are transmitted through water. Therefore, in children's pools, where several children and adults are exercising at the same time, “chemistry” cannot be avoided.
The most common water purification procedure in swimming pools of medical institutions is still chlorination. The negative impact is caused by trichloramine, which is formed when chlorine comes into contact with dust particles, cosmetic residues, baby powder and other water pollutants. Therefore, it is important to shower yourself and wash your child immediately before diving into the pool.
There are health and sports complexes where other disinfectants are used in the pools, to which your child may not be allergic.
How to conduct infant swimming lessons?
Water procedures should be performed approximately an hour after eating: the baby is not yet hungry, and the milk has already been absorbed. Another important point - work only with well-rested children to avoid tears and whims.
Leaning over the bathtub while holding your baby in the water is quite difficult - it affects both your back and shoulders. Try doing this while sitting on a chair. Be sure to cover the floor in the bathroom with a rubber mat so that it is not so slippery. Take a clean diaper with you so you can dry your newborn after the swim. You can also wrap your baby in it before bringing him into the nursery. However, if there are no drafts in the apartment, doctors recommend slightly blotting the baby’s skin without wiping it dry, and taking him to the crib naked. This is another effective way of hardening.
Indications for the procedure
Infant swimming in a bath is used as an additional opportunity to improve the health of babies, as well as for certain conditions:
- torticollis (true and neurological);
- dysplasia;
- clubfoot;
- rickets;
- paresis and paralysis;
- umbilical hernia;
- muscle hypertonicity;
- muscle hypotonia;
- Down syndrome;
- autism spectrum syndrome;
- sleep disturbance;
- colic.
Who is the procedure contraindicated for?
Contraindications for infant bathing are divided into absolute and conditional.
Absolute contraindications include:
- temperature more than 37.2, which lasts more than 2 hours,
- acute inflammatory processes,
- pustular skin lesions;
- purulent processes;
- pneumonia;
- ARVI and acute febrile conditions;
- active form of tuberculosis, syphilis;
- intestinal infections, intestinal disorders;
- open, bleeding wounds;
- diseases of infectious nature;
- congenital anomalies that exclude the possibility of infants swimming;
- acute cardiovascular, renal and liver failure;
- severe hydrocephalus.
Conditional contraindications (subject to certain conditions, you can swim):
- epilepsy (a certificate from a doctor is required that physical activity is possible; two or more months without seizures; anticonvulsant therapy);
- increased intracranial pressure;
- runny nose (without infectious complications).
Swimming is the basis for the development of a child’s motor activity
The baby remains in the amniotic fluid for the entire nine months of pregnancy, where he feels normal and that is why many babies love to swim after birth. If this is not the case, then environmental factors such as water temperature and swimming conditions will influence his choice. Many babies can learn to swim in the bathtub before they can crawl or walk on their own . At the same time, we note that with daily procedures, during which the child has the opportunity to swim, the baby experiences positive dynamics in the area of motor activity. Often such children begin to walk and crawl much earlier.
Pool for newborns
Swimming a newborn in the pool is not just a process of teaching him basic water movements; This is a way of all-round development. Classes here, as a rule, begin at 2 months of age, provided that the child has previously mastered basic swimming exercises in a home bath.
Leading pediatricians advise visiting the pool no more than 3 times a week. The duration of the lesson for a two-month-old baby is ten minutes; as they grow older, it increases by half a minute every month.
Tips for visiting a public pool:
- Always wear a baby rubber cap on your newborn, which will protect the delicate scalp and hair from hard chlorinated water.
- The optimal visiting time for a child’s body is from 10 to 12 o’clock, try to fit within this time interval.
In the pool, you can practice with your child the same exercises that you mastered in the bathtub, gradually increasing their intensity. If you wish, you can enroll in an appropriate group or hire an instructor who specializes in teaching newborns. However, this is not necessary - the rules for teaching a baby to swim in the pool are identical to the rules for a bath.
