Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 (Tek) 9/28/84 based on 9/17/84; site orca.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!uwvax!harvard!talcott!panda!genrad!decvax!tektronix!orca!andrew From: andrew@orca.UUCP (Andrew Klossner) Newsgroups: net.kids,net.med Subject: infants in water can DIE Message-ID: <1656@orca.UUCP> Date: Thu, 8-Aug-85 19:29:16 EDT Article-I.D.: orca.1656 Posted: Thu Aug 8 19:29:16 1985 Date-Received: Mon, 12-Aug-85 20:43:40 EDT References: <538@tekigm.UUCP> <27100034@gypsy.UUCP> <214@gymble.UUCP> Organization: Tektronix, Wilsonville OR Lines: 17 Xref: linus net.kids:1510 net.med:1777 This is in response to a note that teaching infants to swim must be okay because it worked for the author's family and makes intuitive sense. It cannot be overemphasized that teaching children younger than three years old to swim CAN LEAD TO THEIR DEATH. There have been many documented cases, and the American Medical Association now recommends that children not be allowed to swim until they reach this age. I am not competent to report on the specific problems (any MDs want to help out?), but one of them is that infants are too young not to swallow too much water and chlorine, resulting in system failure and death. This was all hashed over several months ago, but is of such gravity that it bears repeating. -=- Andrew Klossner (decvax!tektronix!orca!andrew) [UUCP] (orca!andrew.tektronix@csnet-relay) [ARPA]