Baby neck floats and swimming rings are a controversial topic as always. Many parents believe the rumors just to be gossip between overprotective parents; however, others fear the risk they pose for children. Although this debate is far from reaching its conclusion, we’re here to present our own thoughts on the matter so you can decide for yourself; Should you let your baby into swimming pools?
Before we delve deep into the nitty and gritty, we’ll let you know that this blog has been divided into two segments discussing inflatable swimming rings’ liabilities and advantages. But first of all, let’s find out what swimming rings exactly are and what they do. So, without further ado, let’s dive in.
Contents
What are Swimming Rings?
Swimming rings and Baby neck floats are essentially rubbers rings that help the baby stay above water without any external support. Since there is no general age requirement for babies to be introduced to water, parents often use neck floats in bathtubs and pools.
These swimming rings became popular a few years back but once again have started garnering the attention of parents all around the world, just prior to the start of summer.
These pool floats can be inflatable and non-inflatable, depending on your preference. However, the basic concept behind them is allowing babies to get used to water as well as learn swimming. The rubber ring keeps the head above water level while allowing them to paddle with their hands and legs. Even though manufacturers have offered certain guarantees to assure parents of their product’s reliability, some organizations are still not convinced.
Why You Shouldn’t
Skeptics argue that due to these floats, parents leave their babies isolated in pools and baby spas to destress themselves from their tiring responsibilities, and no matter how much the manufacturers emphasize their products’ safety, unfortunate incidents regarding baby floats are not uncommon.
An associate professor of pediatrics at Rush University Medical Center, Kyran Quinlan, said that the devices “scare me to death.”
The Swimming Teachers Association argues that even quality-made products pose a threat to babies as they can separate the baby from their parents or guardians. The founder of Birthlight and one of the world’s leading experts on baby swimming, Francoise Freedman, says: “The water is wonderful for expanding babies’ opportunities to explore the reflexes, movement patterns, and pathways for sensory and motor development. These babies being placed in floating rings are missing out on what the water can uniquely offer to promote and mediate a dynamic connection between parents and babies.”
In short, the STA, Birthlight, alongside other swimming providers, are united against the use of baby floats in routine swimming sessions and are issuing warnings to all parents who do so.
Why You Should
Water for babies is like hot chocolate on a chilly morning for us. Not to mention a bit of good old bonding time never hurt anyone. Though the STA and other organizations have raised valid concerns regarding these floats, that doesn’t mean that these problems can’t be dealt with.
Inflatable floats are prone to leakage, but that’s where non-inflatable ones come in. They reduce the risk of drowning due to leakage and are much sturdier as opposed to conventional inflatable swimming rings.
Non-inflatable swim floats are usually made of high-quality swimwear fabric and TPU film wrap that looks like leather but feels different. The foam is fast-drying to prevent bacteria from breeding. Much like dinnerware, these floats come in different sets and may include swimming aids and swim nappies to avoid any mishaps in the pool.
We believe that swim rings and baby floats are useful things to have around as they provide additional support to your baby. However, this doesn’t mean that you should isolate your baby; you should always stay close to them and never leave their side while in the water.
Or you can get your little one something else that’ll quench their thirst for pools, like the Swimming Robot Toy Fish or a fishing toy. But that’s a story for another time. Here, you can check our favorite swim float, the Solid Non-Inflatable Swimming Ring.
