A U.K. swim school conducted a survey to determine what may be preventing some parent from taking their babies to the pool.
Splash About found that more than 25% of parents polled feared their children might catch an illness from the water. Nearly 23% were worried about chlorine irritating their kids’ skin. And almost 20% were concerned about their babies having an accident in the pool.
The author of the study says that fears may be exacerbated by searching about health risks on the internet. This shouldn’t the case as the benefits far outweigh the risks, which have been minimized over the years through advancements in diaper technology, including neoprene. The material is worn over diapers to prevent solids from leaking through. More than 90% of swim schools require them, the study says.
"Having concerns about taking your baby swimming in a public pool is perfectly understandable, but the benefits to children’s development are well documented," said Bernadette Spofforth, Splash Around's managing director. "And the health concerns reflected by our research can be easily allayed: public pools are not the scary, germ-ridden places they’re sometimes feared to be. Health and safety standards are at their highest, and this extends to what babies wear in the water.”
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