June 14, 2010 By Claire McCarthy, M.D. Boston Children's
Hospital Playing in the water at a beach or pool can be great
fun and great exercise, and should be part of every childhood.
But the reality is that drowning is the second leading cause of
accidental death. What should parents know and do as they slide
on those bathing suits and pack up the car? 1. Teach your child
to swim. All children should learn to swim. This is an important
safety skill, and can help prevent drowning. The American
Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that children 4 years and
older should learn to swim. But in May 2010 they changed their
recommendation slightly to say that swimming lessons should be
considered for children ages 1 to 3. This change is based on
some studies that showed that children 1 to 3 may be less likely
to drown if they've had some formal swimming lessons. The
studies were small, and they didn't give many details on what
kind of lessons were best. This is why the AAP isn't
recommending that younger children be