Infant Swim--water survival training

[BeachBum]

Any experience/ thoughts on this program? www.infantswim.com
I'm considering it for my 19 mo old.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Looks kind of sketchy to me for some reason. I don't think I would do it. I don't like the idea of them putting ds face down in the water to get them to practice rolling over. It just makes me uncomfortable.

We did "water babies" swim "classes" when ds was 18 months but that was more for fun.

This is the AAP take on swim lessons in general though you will certainly hear lots of debates about it. This article talks about that debate a bit, if you are interested:
http://scottsdaletimes.com/july06-feature2.asp


AAP: SWIMMING LESSONS NOT RECOMMENDED UNDER AGE FOUR


Below is a news digest of a policy statement published in the April issue of Pediatrics, the peer-reviewed scientific journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

For Release: April 3, 2000, 1:00 p.m. (ET)

CHICAGO - Children are not developmentally ready for formal swimming lessons until after their fourth birthday, states an updated policy from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). According to the AAP, drowning is a leading cause of unintentional injury and death in the pediatric age group. In the United States, drowning rates are highest among toddlers ages 1 through 2 years old. In Arizona, California, Florida, and Texas, drowning is the leading cause of unintentional injury and death in this age group. While an estimated 5 to 10 million infants and preschool children participate in aquatic programs, these should not be promoted as a way to decrease the risk of drowning, the AAP says. It also says parents should not feel secure that their child is safe in water or safe from drowning after participating in an aquatic program. "Whenever infants and toddlers are in or around water, an adult should be within an arm's length, providing 'touch supervision,'" the AAP says.

http://www.aap.org/advocacy/archives/aprswim.htm



After reading that I would imagine that most responsible parents don't rely on any sort of training or lessons to keep the child safe in the pool; that the parent would always stay close by to the child till the child is much older. So, if that program makes you feel at least a little better then go for it. I'm not sure I buy into what they claim though, especially for little, little ones.

Beth

[o_mom]

I would ask to observe some classes first. I have heard of programs where they basically throw the kids in more like a 'sink or swim' approach which I do not think would be good. I don't know if this is one of them, however.

Also, it can NEVER, NEVER replace vigilance on your part. Too many parents think that their 2, 3, 4+ yo can swim and thus they are free to chat at the poolside or don't have to worry about that unlocked gate, etc.

[katiesmommy]

I agree, I'd want to visit a class first. However, it looks like something I'd be intressted in for my daughter. I did a water safety course when I was very young and it saved my life. I fell in the pool, but I knew to float on my back. But I'm not sure about the swim, float, smim sequence.

[maestramommy]

Some moms in my group took their babes for swim class, where you dunk together, the idea being that they learn to hold their breath for an instant. I tried it in our pool and it actually worked. However, this is a far cry from water survival training and I certainly wouldn't try it on Dora at this age.

[jd11365]

YES! I did it and will do it again! Where I live they call it SafeStart.

Day 1 was traumatic. Kayla screamed for me the entire time. I couldn't eat or sleep that night just thinking about it and almost cancelled had it not been for my parents insistance. Day 2 I brought my dad so he could watch because I couldn't. Day 3 and Kayla was all smiles!

I have a pool and I live in a state that has the highest drowning rate in the nation (along with Arizona). Knowing I can literally throw Kayla in the middle of a huge pool and she will immediately turn on her back and get to the wall is worth more than anything to me.

BTW, the reason they cry at first is because they don't know what they're doing, and that's scary. The minute they learn to flip on their back, which is usually by day 3, they're all smiles. Sounds cliche, but it's not. It's really true.

Here she is with her instructor at 25 months... If heaven forbid, your baby ends up in the middle of the pool without you, this is what you will want to see!
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a393/tjdomres/swim.jpg

Kayla is 3 now and in regular swimming lessons. She swims like a fish, even touching the bottom of the pool now!

[lisams]

I totally agree! We live in AZ, so for us it was just as important as babyproofing the house and using a carseat in the car. You do everything you can to protect your child, but accidents happen and any ounce of prevention is worth it to me.

DD goes to a place year round that teaches young children and babies the survival float (the kids know it as "airplanes"). At first DD was a little scared, but they were really good and challenged her enough while not going too fast.

It's amazing when we go and you see these babies and young toddlers floating on their backs with their arms out.

DD is now 4 and is an amazing swimmer. She is actually doing strokes with her arms. When she was about 2.5/3 we were in the pool and she was going from me to my dad and one time she must not have taken enough air in before she went under the water and she went right into an "airplane". She knew exactly what to do! It was amazing seeing her use what she had learned in a real life situation (as silly as this sounds, I cried becuase I was so proud of her!)

[jacksmom0902]

Both of my boys have been through this program and I wholeheartedly endorse it. DS1 was almost 4 and DS2 was 16 months when they started and could both perform the swim-float-swim sequence by the end. We just finished up our refresher lesson which is an annual follow-up to make sure their skills are current. I would recommend that you contact a local instructor and observe a class. Our instructor knew that I wanted to take both boys and had me observe a few children close to my children's age. Both of my boys were uncertain at first but their instructor had me get in the water with them (and her) on about the third day to show them that everything was okay and they never cried during a lesson again. Usually they were upset when the lesson was over! That being said, it is not cheap and requires a definite time commitment from you during the enrollment period but it was well worth our time and money. Good luck with your decision.

[skatkerz]

I just started the ISR(Infant Swim Resource) training 3 days ago for my 9 mos old DS. "jd11365" has a couple of posts on this site that helped convince me to do this. I was pretty distraught on the first day, because DS was NOT enjoying himself during the lesson..cried the whole time. However, yesterday there was a story in the news about an 11 month old who had drowned just a couple of towns over from me. This is something that no one wants to hear about, but it confirmed to me that I had made the right decision to take these lessons. They are not swim lessons...they are survival lessons. Every statement that I see from the AAP is always so vague sounding-I don't think the AAP has done any real research on the subject to be honest.
Today he still cried, but seemed a little more relaxed. I've been told that once the first week is over, it gets better (for both parent & DC.) Expensive( about $550 for the 6 week training) , but worth every penny.

[pb&j]

My cousins, who are just a little younger than me, did something similar when they were toddlers. It is no substitute for parental supervision, but they were able to keep themselves afloat and get to the wall at a very young age.

[Melbel]

We opted for a kinder/gentler swim survival lessons when DD1 was about 19 months and DS was 4. We live in FL and DD1 had absolutely no fear of water (she would get mad at me for catching her when she jumped in), so we did lessons a year earlier than we had planned to with her. There was absolutely no crying whatsoever, even from DS who was then still very fearful of water. Within about 6 weeks, the instructor could throw them in with clothes and shoes on and they knew exactly what to do. While I always closely supervise, it was also nice to know that DC would be able to buy a little time and/or get to the edge if necessary.

DD1 has always been quite the fish, winning awards on her swim team since age 4. At 8 and 6, DS and DD1 are now in their 3rd year of swim team and are doing great with each of the four strokes.

I would check into different programs to find a program that meets your comfort level.

[skatkerz]

I posted on this thread a few weeks ago...I had started the ISR infant swim-survival lessons & was having a hard time. Well it's been about three weeks & my 10 mos old is floating like a champ, & has become much more relaxed during the lessons, although he is not turning over onto his back yet. I am very happy with the program & the instructor. They are very cautious...you write down all foods eaten,poops & pees, monitoring for any psych/physical problems. He's been great. I highly recommend the ISR program!:yay:

[skatkerz]

My little boy just finished his infant swim / survival lessons. One of my instructor's students saved herself by floating....check out the story & video at the following link...the little baby in the yellow speedo is my boy, Ryan, floating! I highly recommend this program (Infant Swim Resource) to all parents. Its really hard for the first few weeks but it is so worth it!
Here's the link:

http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2008/8/11/372602.html

[randomkid]

I posted on this thread a few weeks ago...I had started the ISR infant swim-survival lessons & was having a hard time. Well it's been about three weeks & my 10 mos old is floating like a champ, & has become much more relaxed during the lessons, although he is not turning over onto his back yet. I am very happy with the program & the instructor. They are very cautious...you write down all foods eaten,poops & pees, monitoring for any psych/physical problems. He's been great. I highly recommend the ISR program!:yay:

I think it's fantastic that you signed your DS up for these lessons. DD is going through the program now and she loves it. She cried for about 30 seconds the second day and now she loves to go. She is much more confident in the water and I feel like she would be able to save herself should an accident occur.

I think a lot depends on the individual instructor. This program is not intended to be traumatic. So, your kid cries. Some cry every lesson and some never cry. The important thing is that they are learning survival. This program is not intended to replace adult supervision or to teach a child formal swimming. They are taught to swim for about 3-4 seconds, then turn over to float to rest, then swim more with the idea of being able to get to the edge of the pool, then climb out (if the child is old enough). DD's instructor told me that a large number of drownings occur at the edge of the pool because the child doesn't know what to do once he/she gets there. In younger children, they only teach the float. This program has a 100% success rate. All of the students of this program that have had accidental entry into water have survived. DD's instructor said they have given the AAP over 40 years of documentation to support the success of the program, but they just won't budge. I think it has more to do with liability than anything else. BTW, DD's ped used to be an instructor and has posters for ISR all over his office.

I find it very interesting that people will quote the AAP on something like this, but will readily disagree on the AAP's recommendations on other topics (vaccinations, for example). I also find it interesting that some parents will let their child CIO to go to sleep, but get upset if their child cries during these lessons. Kids cry, that's what they do. They cry when they are scared, tired, cranky, mad, sad, hungry, etc. Maybe living in FL gives me a different perspective, but my child's life is far too important to let those little things get in the way of doing what I feel will make her safer. No one is saying this will "drown proof" your child, but the odds of survival are much greater.

I think it's a great program and a gentle one. They don't just "throw your kid in the water". There is a logical progression and never does DD's instructor make her uncomfortable. Quite the opposite actually. She doesn't want to do anything to scare DD as she wants her to be successful and not afraid to come back. DD totally trusts the instructor - she does more for her than she will for me.

For anyone considering this program, I'd suggest you observe some lessons and get past any crying. We've observed at least 5 kids who go to DD's instructor and only one of them cries.

Sorry - off my soapbox. I just feel people should not make assumptions and judgements about something they have not experienced firsthand.

[kmak]

My DD finished ISR a few weeks ago, and I feel like it's the best thing we've every done for her.

ISR is NOT a sink or swim training program. Nor did the instructor ever throw them in the pool. At no point was my DD ever out of control of the instructor. I was totally impressed with the knowledge, training and professonalism of the instructor. My DD wants to go swimming with me everyday now (doesn't get to, but would if I had the time).

ISR does not promote themselves and "drown proofing", and this was re-inforced by the instructor.

I just can't say enough about how good this program is. Please, everyone, highly consider this training program for your DC.

[todzwife]

I wish we had something like that here :(

[randomkid]

I wish we had something like that here :(

It's a national program - Go to this page and enter your zip code to see if there are any instructors near you.

http://www.infantswim.com/home.html

[brittone2]

I'll admit I've been one of those that posted the AAP recommendations against infant swim classes when I really don't like the AAP positions on plenty of things like vaxes and cosleeping.

I'll also admit that I instantly think about the classes where babies get tossed into the water, etc. (apparently this is not the case with this program).

I also think you are likely right (Randomkid) about it being partially a liability thing for the AAP.

If the program doesn't claim to drown-proof kids (directly or indirectly), and it doesn't make parents feel too safe (consciously or unconsciously), then I guess I personally am not as opposed as I once was.

Mea culpa. I don't live in an area with an abundance of pools so I really have no idea what I would do if I lived in CA or FL for example.

anyway, just admitting that my preconceptions were probably not entirely accurate. It has been interesting to read more about it.

Do you have to repeat the class eventually? How long are they supposed to "remember" how to flip onto their backs? I'm guessing they try to make it so it becomes instinct or whatever? For those that have done it and now have older kids, did you see your 3-4 year old "remember" what they were taught?

[kmak]

They recommend repeating at least every year if not every 6mos. I guess it depends on the age. Kids grow so fast and their muscle development changes so rapidly. That's why they want to get them back in the water to coordinate the muscle memory of floating/swimming in the water with the new skills the kids have (walking, running, jumping, etc).

[Wife_and_mommy]

Do your children use their skills for leisure? Maybe that's a silly question but I'm picturing kids who only float and swim to the edge.:ROTFLMAO:

I'm not trying to be condescending. Just wondering how the training plays out in real life aside from life/death situations.

TIA for info. :)

[kmak]

Oh yeah! DD loves to swim between me and DH or me and Granny. When she and I go to the pool by ourselves, she swim from me to the wall and back. She actually asks to do that vs. playing something else.

[BeachBum]

Do your children use their skills for leisure? Maybe that's a silly question but I'm picturing kids who only float and swim to the edge.:ROTFLMAO:

I'm not trying to be condescending. Just wondering how the training plays out in real life aside from life/death situations.

TIA for info. :)

I know two children who have done the program. Both are 3, and both have pools at home.
. Neither would leave the steps on the afternoons that we played together. (Not on the same days, more than 1 day with each kid).Both requested swimmies and both moms replied the same way that if they "practiced" their float and swim 1x then they could have them. Both kids opted not to.

[jd11365]

Do your children use their skills for leisure? Maybe that's a silly question but I'm picturing kids who only float and swim to the edge.:ROTFLMAO:

I'm not trying to be condescending. Just wondering how the training plays out in real life aside from life/death situations.

TIA for info. :)

It makes it great. In both cases the kids were/are extremely cautious around the water. Taylor (and when she was a toddler, Kayla) will not go near the edge of the pool because he knows the consequences of falling in. This, by far, is the best plus outside of being able to float for survival. But, he loves to jump in to Mommy or Daddy's arms and swim to the stairs. He LOVES the pool, but understands what a pool is, if that makes sense. Much different than my friend's kids who don't know what happens if you fall in without a Mommy or Daddy and want to walk off the edge like lemmings, kwim?

[mom2binsd]

When we lived in Utah DD attended the Infant Aquatics Program http://infantaquatics.com/...similar to the ISR program...it is wonderful, not cheap but I really feel it provided her with a great experience and introduction to the water...the instructors are fantastic and highly trained...we had only 1:1 lessons...once they've mastered floating and turning over they move onto other skills....it's very well thought out method of teaching swimming....we felt that although money was tight we could do without other things to pay for this....

[todzwife]

It's a national program - Go to this page and enter your zip code to see if there are any instructors near you.

http://www.infantswim.com/home.html
Unfortunately I live in the armpit of New Mexico and I checked. There isn't anything within 200 miles :(

[randomkid]

Do your children use their skills for leisure? Maybe that's a silly question but I'm picturing kids who only float and swim to the edge.:ROTFLMAO:

I'm not trying to be condescending. Just wondering how the training plays out in real life aside from life/death situations.

TIA for info. :)

DD is just in her third week of classes and now when we are in the pool, she wants to swim back and forth from me to the steps or the edge of the pool. I practice the skills with her and to her it's like a game - she loves challenging herself to see what she can do on her own. Just yesterday, she was experimenting with what she could do in the water (staying close to the edge and turning circles over and over). My Mom and I were in with her and were able to toss her into the air and forward about 2 feet between each other and let her land with a big splash, then she would swim the rest of the way. I'm never more than 3 feet away from her in the water.

Before lessons, DD was not afraid of the water, but wouldn't let go of me in the pool. With lessons, she was swimming to the steps after 3 days. After 2 weeks, she's having fun. DD is 3.5yo, so probably more adventurous than a 2yo might be. In just 11 lessons - that are 1:1 for 10-15 minutes each - she's gone from swimming about 3 feet to now being able to swim the full length across the pool (think width of pool, not length), by floating to rest. She still needs some help from the instructor to get into the float, but she is progressing every day.

To answer your question, we're not there yet, but DD's instructor and other parents have told me that yes, their older DC will float to rest. However, they don't just swim to the steps or edge. They learn to swim more for fun and dive to the bottom, etc., but will come to the surface, float to rest, then continue to play. Pretty sure that as these kids get older, they don't float to rest anymore - they likely stand up - lol! If you think about it, though, at such a young age, swimming that distance is probably about all you would expect from them anyway.

[randomkid]

I'll admit I've been one of those that posted the AAP recommendations against infant swim classes when I really don't like the AAP positions on plenty of things like vaxes and cosleeping.
Here's the interesting thing to me about the AAP statement - They talk about formal lessons and how children are not developmentally ready for these lessons until age four. Nobody is claiming these are formal lessons. They also state "Aquatic programs for infants and toddlers have not been shown to decrease the risk of drowning, and parents should not feel secure that their child is safe in water or safe from drowning after participating in such programs. Young children should receive constant, close supervision by an adult while in and around water." DD's instructor and I just had this conversation last week. She told me that even though the program has a 100% success rate, the AAP says it's "a fluke" or "coincidence" that these kids all used their skills and survived. Give me a break! The program emphasizes safety and adult responsibility, not that your child is safe to be unsupervised. She also said that most programs won't start formal "stroke" lessons until age 6.


I'll also admit that I instantly think about the classes where babies get tossed into the water, etc. (apparently this is not the case with this program).
Beth, you would be amazed at how DD's instructor works with her. It's like PT - she started off physically moving DD, now she facilitates her into what she wants her to do. She progressed to lightly turning DD's head to get her to float, to now using one finger, the water or visual cues to get her to roll over. Now that DD is learning the timing of the swim, float, swim sequence, she has had to go back to using more assist, but in one lesson today, her facilitation became less and less. It's really cool. When DH (who is also a PT) saw a lesson for the first time, he said "It's like PT". The instructor started by sending DD to the steps. Today, she was turning her upside down in the water and DD had to orient herself to which direction she needed to go.

In that same vein, the instructor just works through the crying (with the kids that cry). That's what is so hard for parents to watch. I'm sure as a pediatric PT, you have had many kids cry during treatment sessions and just had to work through it. The instructor reassures, gives breaks, etc., but doesn't let the crying stop the lesson.


Do you have to repeat the class eventually? How long are they supposed to "remember" how to flip onto their backs? I'm guessing they try to make it so it becomes instinct or whatever? For those that have done it and now have older kids, did you see your 3-4 year old "remember" what they were taught?
Yes. They have refresher courses each year and the idea behind it is conditioning. It should be a conditioned response to roll over and float should they fall in the water. The first course is 20-30 lessons depending on how the child progresses. Refresher courses are typically 10 lessons. However, it depends on the child. The instructor was telling me that some kids just catch on faster than others - one little boy she has is doing refresher lessons this summer, but has had to come for several weeks because he has grown so much and his body is so different. It's like starting all over for him. Others (like my friends DD) only need about 5 lessons, but they will still do the full 10 to reinforce the skills.

DD goes to an in-home daycare and there is a little girl there who started lessons before she was a year old. She is now 4yo. They have a pool and she actually fell in accidentally one time when she was younger and used the skills to swim and float to get to the edge of the pool, then pulled herself out. By the time she was 3, she was swimming like a fish. Now, at 4, she doesn't need refresher lessons because she is so skilled with swimming. Still, children should always be supervised in the water and this program emphasizes safety, parental responsibility and drowning prevention, not that they are teaching kids to swim on their own. http://www.infantswim.com/safety/safety.html

BTW, if you read the story behind the program, it's really touching. When he was 18yo, the founder experienced the drowning of a neighbor boy. He made it his life's work that "not one more child drowns". He dedicated his life to this cause. You can read more here http://www.infantswim.com/company/index.html

Sorry so long, but I tend to get really wordy when it's late. I should never post this late at night!

[o_mom]

...They also state "Aquatic programs for infants and toddlers have not been shown to decrease the risk of drowning, and parents should not feel secure that their child is safe in water or safe from drowning after participating in such programs. Young children should receive constant, close supervision by an adult while in and around water." DD's instructor and I just had this conversation last week. She told me that even though the program has a 100% success rate, the AAP says it's "a fluke" or "coincidence" that these kids all used their skills and survived. Give me a break!

I'll be devil's advocate here. Correlation does not equal causation. Simply saying that one of their students has never drown is not the same as showing it is effective. Parents who enroll in the program and pay the fees are most likely invested in kids safety to begin with. That alone will decrease the chance of accidental drowning. Same thing applies to the safety education they receive in the program. I could find no research on their website or anywhere that formally studied if this program worked. That's not the same as saying it doesn't work, just that there isn't any proof that it does.

[brittone2]

I'll be devil's advocate here. Correlation does not equal causation. Simply saying that one of their students has never drown is not the same as showing it is effective. Parents who enroll in the program and pay the fees are most likely invested in kids safety to begin with. That alone will decrease the chance of accidental drowning. Same thing applies to the safety education they receive in the program. I could find no research on their website or anywhere that formally studied if this program worked. That's not the same as saying it doesn't work, just that there isn't any proof that it does.

I'm curious about this as well. Drowning is (fortunately) a pretty rare event (I know it happens, and certainly in areas of the country where there are more pools etc. it is more common). It would be interesting to see a breakdown of how many kids drown annually in the U.S. and how it compares to how many kids have gone through this program, etc. Obviously most kids who don't do infant swimming also don't drown.

I haven't had my morning coffee and DD is hanging on my leg, so I'm not sure that I'm making sense. In any case, it would be interesting to see more statistics IMO. (and better yet, a study as O_mom said).

Randomkid-the technique sounds interesting...kinda NDT-esque the way you described it. And yes, you are right, when I was working kids cried during sessions and usually worked through it.

I'll admit to having some preconceived notions about infant swimming and it has been interesting to learn more. I'm still not sure it is something I'd personally opt for even if I had a pool, but I'll readily admit that I definitely had some preconceived notions that probably aren't correct. Thanks for the additional explanation.

[randomkid]

I'm curious about this as well. Drowning is (fortunately) a pretty rare event (I know it happens, and certainly in areas of the country where there are more pools etc. it is more common). It would be interesting to see a breakdown of how many kids drown annually in the U.S. and how it compares to how many kids have gone through this program, etc. Obviously most kids who don't do infant swimming also don't drown.

I'll admit to having some preconceived notions about infant swimming and it has been interesting to learn more. I'm still not sure it is something I'd personally opt for even if I had a pool, but I'll readily admit that I definitely had some preconceived notions that probably aren't correct. Thanks for the additional explanation.

Unfortunately, drowning is not all that rare. Here are some statistics:

http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/drown.htm

Yes, rates are higher in some states than others, but the fact remains that drowning is the leading cause of injury related deaths in children 1-4 years old. "In 2005, of all children 1 to 4 years old who died, almost 30% died from drowning." Add to that the number of near drownings and the rates are way too high.

As stated on the TODAY Show this morning, drowning is the leading cause of death for infants and young children in at least 18 states and, nationally, ranks 1st for children 4 years of age and under. This preventable tragedy claims the lives of approximately 4,000 children each year and leaves another 12,000 with some form of permanent brain damage.

I'm glad you have been more open minded about the lessons and you might feel differently if you lived in a state like ours. On the registration form, it asks how many bodies of water are within 200 yards of your home. DH and I stopped counting at 10 and just put that on the form - there are probably more pools and jacuzzis within 200 yards that we are not aware of.

Here are some FL statistics - I tried to attach the file, but it was too large. If you copy and paste this into your browser, you can get the PDF file.
browardchd.org/services/HealthEd/_docs/FLChildDrowningFacts.pdf

I'm not sure what you mean by this: "Obviously most kids who don't do infant swimming also don't drown." These are accidental drownings. The idea of the program is to give time for an adult to find the child or for the child to be able to get out on their own if they are old enough to do so. One stat I found stated that most child drownings occur as the result of lapse in adult supervision of 5 seconds or less. If the child goes in and rolls over to float, they are breathing AND more likely to be seen.

There are many statistics out there, but I couldn't find anything to break it down by state. Obviously, they can't do a formal research study on this. What would they do - teach a group the skills, then have a control group that doesn't learn the skills, then throw them in a pool and see who survives? What I do think they need to do is a formal study. They could follow up with every student after 6 months, a year, etc. and document any incidents and the outcomes. All they have now are documented cases. I'm figuring there are many more that are not reported. There could be cases where the technique didn't work and those weren't reported. If they would do this follow up study, they would be doing themselves a favor by having stronger evidence.

You should really go to their website and watch the videos, esp. the Today Show story - it is very informative. http://www.infantswim.com/home.html When you go to the page with that video and scroll down, this quote is there. This is DD's ped. He was an instructor and his ex-wife is also an instructor.

"There's a big problem in many parts of the country with infant and toddler drowning, a serious issue that has had me concerned for many years. I believe strongly that we as pediatricians need to do something about this epidemic, so I decided to take action and speak out on behalf of Dr. Barnett's proven method for helping young children save their own lives in a drowning scenario. Over the last 20 years, I've referred all of my patients to ISR and promoted family aquatic safety by educating my physician peers and the community. Through ISR's program, I have watched many children acquire life-saving skills and learn how to swim. The program helps babies learn self-rescue skills in the water, and ISR's swimming method helps prevent drowning. It's time that pediatricians do something about the drowning problem across the U.S. Observing children learn ISR's proven techniques more than twenty years - it's very obvious that young children can learn how to swim. ISR's swimming lesson method works, and it helps children to save their own lives."
- David Carr, M.D.

[Wife_and_mommy]

Cool. Thanks for the replies. I looked into ISR when DD was young then decided to wait until she was older. She started lessons at 3.75 w/ an instructor that was way too easy on her. She's an awesome swimmer now thanks to an instructor that pushed her and lots of practice at home.

I've been working with DS and what Jaime said resonated with me. He knows how to hold his breath but not float yet and he does jump in w/ no regard to if he can get out. We are working on that.:ROTFLMAO:

[brittone2]

Unfortunately, drowning is not all that rare. Here are some statistics:

http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/drown.htm

Yes, rates are higher in some states than others, but the fact remains that drowning is the leading cause of injury related deaths in children 1-4 years old. "In 2005, of all children 1 to 4 years old who died, almost 30% died from drowning." Add to that the number of near drownings and the rates are way too high.

I'm not sure what you mean by this: "Obviously most kids who don't do infant swimming also don't drown." These are accidental drownings.
- D


I realize drowning is a leading cause (the leading cause as you said in age 1-4) of death. What I mean is that overall, the risk of any death in young kids is still small. I'm not saying that there isn't value in infant swimming, I'm just saying that their statement that none of their students has drowned doesn't necessarily convince me that it definitely prevents drowning. (but I haven't looked at your additional info yet) HoI admittedly haven't spent a ton of time researching the topic.

And with regard to my other statement, what I"m saying is that most kids don't drown, whether they've had ISR or not. While it is a major cause of death in young kids, it is still a statistically uncommon event overall. So I'm wondering how it would break out statistically. How many kids have gone through the program but have not drowned vs. drowning rates nationally, etc. Have enough kids progressed through the program to get those types of numbers?

I'm not saying there's no benefit, I'm just saying it would be interesting to see more statistics. I haven't gotten to look at your info yet but thanks for sharing. Gotta get DS in bed so I'm rushing this post.