Baby swimming – Lilliputian swimmers in action!
Interview with Margarita Kotzia in ATHENS CHILD in the summer of 2007 about Baby swimming - swimming for infants and toddlers.
How did you decide to get involved in baby swimming?
My love for children and the sport led me to start this activity (Baby swimming). I was inspired when I learned about the significant benefits that babies and toddlers derive from this activity. Teaching babies and toddlers to swim is a sector in Greece that has not been developed at all, unlike abroad where these programs are very popular and widespread and have been operating for at least 3-4 decades.
It is true that you are the only one in Greece – and one of the few in Europe – to hold a master's degree with a thesis in baby swimming; The term is relatively unknown to us. Can you explain to us what swimming is? baby swimming;
The baby swimming Swimming for infants and toddlers is a program for learning and developing basic swimming skills in the form of play. Parents participate in the program with their infants - aged 5 months to 3.5 years - under the guidance of a qualified instructor and in a specially designed pool with warm water (around 32° C) and with a low water height. Scientific research has shown that through play, exploration and encouragement, these activities can lead to the learning of basic swimming movements and skills, as infants when underwater perform reflexive swimming movements and reflexive breath holding from the very first four months of their life. These programs have started in the 60s in America, while in Europe they have been very developed in Germany and Finland and are very widespread and popular.
That is, a baby or toddler will really benefit from it. baby swimming;
It has been proven that the baby swimming helps, positively affecting the motor, muscular and neuropsychic development of infants that has not yet been completed - through appropriate physical and mental exercise, while supporting their general development. With swimming, children acquire adaptability to stimuli, courage and a higher degree of self-confidence, as well as independence. At the same time, the immune system is strengthened, while their sleep becomes more pleasant and calm, since water regulates their muscle tone and creates a sense of relaxation.
Furthermore, parental involvement strengthens the parent-child relationship, while contact with other infants develops the child's personality, sociability, and intelligence. Besides, there are also recreational reasons: infants and toddlers enjoy safe and enjoyable activities in the pool, as the water with its characteristics (texture, buoyancy, resistance, etc.) provides them with a familiar environment and many opportunities for sensory activation, which they could not have anywhere else, at least not so early.
It is the baby Is swimming safe for children's health? (germs from swimming pools - colds...)
Parents often express concern that young children, by participating in baby swimming programs, may increase the risk of illness or other adverse health conditions. When the condition of the pool and water is good, the risk to children's health is minimal. On the contrary, many studies have shown the positive effect of baby swimming programs on improving health and reducing the frequency of illness in infants and toddlers (Arhrendt, 1997, Serebriakova et al., 1989, Kontzia, Kostas, Kourtesis & Tzetzis, 2004). In baby swimming, children become stronger and get sick less. In addition, swimming at this age has been shown to reduce the frequency of otitis and ear diseases, since it has a beneficial effect on the function of the Eustachian tube. (Robestson, Marino, Namjoshi, 1997).
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