Poolside Safety Tips for Babies, Part 1

Unlike the many added hazards that taking your baby to the beach involves, your backyard swimming pool can be a great place to hang out with your baby! Offering multi-sensory stimulation and a chance to engage in play, the pool offers plenty for the baby and toddler set; however, it also includes a few extra challenges. Like any activity or setting, you want to consider the necessary safety precautions to ensure that your little one can benefit from your swimming pool.

Drowning Prevention for Infants

Infants and toddlers are those most at risk when it comes to drowning. As the leading cause of death for children under age 4, drowning is actually more common in backyard swimming pools than in other types of water. Among the many steps you can take to reduce the chances of your baby becoming one of those terrible statistics, always make sure you’re within arm’s reach when in the pool and keep a particularly watchful eye on your infant near the swimming pool area. If your baby prefers to be able to move around without your constantly holding him or her, a pool float such as those reviewed here may be helpful.

Because drowning is such a common problem for young children, precautions may not be enough. In addition to careful supervision, you may also want to consider taking a First Aid/CPR/AED class from an organization such as the Red Cross so that you’re prepared to respond in case such an incident does occur. Beginning CPR and rescue breaths immediately will give your child the greatest chance of survival.

Caution About Contaminants

In addition to drowning, another concern relating to infants in swimming pools is the potential for bacteria to leak from diapers. While swim diapers (both disposable and reusable ones) definitely help keep solid feces from entering the pool, they don’t completely keep bacteria from leaking into the water — especially if diarrhea is involved. When that happens, other swimmers can end up being exposed to Crypto and other Recreational Water Illnesses, or RWIs.

You can help reduce the chances of such issues by keeping your baby out of the main swimming pool when he or she has diarrhea and changing him or her frequently. Always change your baby someplace other than the swimming pool area, and always dispose of the diaper properly and wash your hands thoroughly after changing your baby’s diaper. You can keep your baby from being exposed to bacteria from other babies and other individuals by making sure he or she keeps from getting water into his or her mouth.

Continue reading with Part 2.

Lyon Financial

Since 1979 Lyon Financial has made the backyard resort dream come true for over 400,000 families across the U.S. Through our solid relationships with more than 3,000 pool contractors and our continued commitment to putting our clients first, we have built a reputation as the first choice in providing pool financing solutions. For more information, visit lyonfinancial.net or call (877) 754-5966 today.