Children and Movement

My God daughter Haley Cope Clark, 2004 Olympian and new owner of Water Sprites swim school in Chico, recently sent me some interesting information. She put her young son in a dance class called "Brain Dance". They have a great web site listing the benefits of their dance classes (www.creativedance.org).

It made me think about just some of the incredible benefits to swim lessons...

A baby's first breath starts brain connections and synapses immediately. Breath is the first and last thing we will do in our lives. Swimming creates the best opportunity to develop lung capacity and breath control.

Tactile stimulation in water is wonderful for babies. Skin is the largest organ in the body. Water lapping the the skin, especially in babies moving through water, creates the most development of synapses in the brain.

Swimming of course is not a land activity. Balancing and buoyancy in water takes more effort and yet, water gently cradles the body. Soft tissue is protected just like it was in the womb.

As babies become toddlers and movement patterns become more organized, water acts like soft resistance, increasing strength in a safe way. Skin is the largest organ in our body so movement in the water is "felt" by the brain in a big way.

Crawling is a profound skill for young children. The oppositional patterns help create brain connections across the mid-line of the brain. This is the very kind of action that allows children to read from left to right. Dog paddle combines the best support for mammals (children) for rhythmic, healthy breathing. People find they use dog paddle variations in recreation far more than strokes.

Immune systems are enhanced by exercise and deep breathing (we are a society of shallow breathers). Both are essential for the mind, body, spirit. Children with asthma are greatly helped by the deeper breathing of swimming.

Of course, safety is an imperative. Children who swim and whose family receives safety information, especially during "Summer Safety Week" at La Petite Baleen, respect the water more. Their information keeps them from unsafe curiosity. Note: This is not true for a small period of time for toddlers who just love to swim. They must be diligently watched since they are so mobile and lack any judgment.

And, we cannot forget a basic element that all children (and grandparents) relish.....FUN!!! Swimming allows for creative movement. Where else can you float, be upside-down, or splash?

Swimming Aids Asthma Symtoms In Children, Study Finds

Research has shown that swimming aids asthma in children. The activity has been proven to be an effective non-pharmacological intervention for children and adolescents according to a study in " Respiration", published by Wiley-Blackwell.

" Unlike other sports, swimming is unlikely to provoke asthma attacks. In addition to improving asthma, swimming promotes normal physical and psychological development, such as increasing lung volume, developing good breathing techniques and improving general fitness, said lead author, Wang Jeng-Shing from the Taipei University.

He added," Not only is swimming an excellent form of exercise for children with asthma, the health benefits reaped continue to be observed for at least a year after the completion of the swimming program."

Wiley-Blackwell ( 2009, August 20 ) " Swimming Aids Asthma Symptoms In Children, Study Finds. Sciencedaily.

From The National Institutes of Health

Under the direction of the NIH, the National Institute of Child Health and Development, the findings concerning the debate on infant/child swim lessons in their update of March 2, 2009 were announced:

Providing very young children with swimming lessons appears to have a protective effect against drowning and does not increase childrens risk of drowning, reported researchers at the National Institutes of Health.

The researchers state that the findings should ease concerns among health professionals that giving swimming lessons to children from ages 1-4 years might indirectly increase drowning risk by making parents and caregivers less vigilant when children are near bodies of water.

"Swimming lessons are appropriate for consideration as part of a comprehensive drowning prevention strategy," said Duane Alexander, M.D., director of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), the NIH Institute at which the study was conducted. "Because even the best swimmers can drown, swimming lessons are only one component of a comprehensive drowning prevention strategy that should include pool fencing, adult supervision, and training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation."

The findings appear in the March Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.



My comments: This is the first extensive study done. One day the researchers may also include the safety factor of "Summer Safety" that many swim schools have in their curriculum. La Petite Baleen was one of the first in the nation to have such a curriculum. Since we have known for decades that a child's brain is developed for gross motor skills from before birth to four years old, and the best window of opportunity to easily teach a child swimming is at this time. It is wonderful to see the two pieces of information coincide...finally! So often we have had amazing stories of our own students who have used their swim skills wisely to keep a situation from turning sad.

Happy Splashing,

Lita-Irene

Eczema and Swimming?

Dear Parents,

I have long had a theory that chlorinated water actually helps rashes and skin irritations rather than make them worse. I recently came across this article that seems to support this theory, and wanted to share it with you in case your child suffers from eczema and you are hesitant to allow them to swim:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/28/health/research/28regi.html

Perhaps we have even more to learn about the many benefits of swim lessons!

Best "Fishes",

Irene