“Dont allow babies under 1 to swim

Belgium’s High Commission for Health has advised parents not to allow babies under the age of one into swimming pools where there is chlorine in the water.

The Commission says that the disadvantages of allowing babies into pools where the water contains chlorine outweigh any advantages there might be of preparing them to swim at an early age.

Swimming lessons for babies and toddlers are very popular in Flanders. The idea is to get them use to the water and so reduce risk the danger of them drowning.

However, allowing very young children into a chlorine-treated pool is not without risks, not least because their lungs are not yet fully-developed. Furthermore, poor water quality and high water temperatures can increase the risk of infection.

The Commission’s Professor Micheline Kirsch-Volders told the VRT that "Chlorine is used in swimming pools and consequently there is always a minimal risk of a dangerous toxic effect."

"There is an increased risk of infection, if in addition the pool is not well maintained, checks have not been made as they should be and the water temperature is too high for the baby."

"Going to the baths is certainly not recommended for babies that are particularly sensitive or have lung or skin complaints. "

The High Commission for Health says that there needs to be more research into the effect chlorine has on babies’ health, as well as  into alternatives for chlorine in swimming pools.

FlandersNews.be