THE first-ever Baby Swimming Week, which runs until Sunday November 6, is all about educating people about the developmental and health benefits of swimming for babies and toddlers.

National organisation Water Babies is encouraging parents to get children in the water (and underwater) straight from birth. It claims that babies have a real affinity with water, and because they have spent nine months floating in the womb, being in warm water feels much more familiar to them than being on dry land.

This isn't a new practice either. The idea of babies being able to swim independently underwater is centuries old. British explorer Captain Cook documented very young children swimming in the Pacific islands in 1778.

Another vital statistic that reinforces the importance of getting your child confident in the water from a young age is that tragically, drowning is the third-biggest cause of accidental death among children under five in the UK. Learning to get to the side, hold on, get out or swim could save your child’s life one day.

At Dalton Leisure Centre on Chapel Street, Dalton, the swimming pool is a very popular place with parents who want to help their children to learn to swim. Bernard McPeake, centre manager, has also announced that they are in the process of lowering the swimming age in the pool, which coincides with Baby Swimming Week.

He said: "We are considering lowering the age for swimming from six months old to three months old. We are already one of the most popular pools in the area for babies because the water is that little bit warmer than the others.

"I think children should be introduced to the water as soon as possible because then they grow up more confident.

"Our parent and toddler groups are always very busy and our Tadpole lessons are full up every day. Once the Tadpoles are big enough to swim on their own, they graduate to Frogs and later Ducklings."

Babies are natural swimmers. In their first few weeks, babies naturally make rhythmical swimming movements, and also have an inbuilt reflex which makes them hold their breath when they are submerged. After about six months, that reflex lessens as they start to take control of their own breathing when going underwater.

Babies and toddlers lack the strength, co-ordination and motor skills to swim on the surface of the water until they reach the age of about three. The way their body-mass is distributed also makes it difficult. However, with careful supervision and encouragement they can naturally swim short distances underwater from very early on.

Water Babies gets a lot of questions about whether young babies can visit the pool before they have had all of their vaccinations. However, the NHS has stated that parents can take their baby swimming at any time before and after their immunisations.

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Top 10 reasons to get your baby in the water early

1. It teaches water safety.

2. It’s great for their physical and mental health.

3. It promotes bonding between parent and baby.

4. It boosts confidence.

5. It develops their co-ordination.

6. It builds their strength.

7. It develops their learning skills.

8. It enhances their wellbeing.

9. It provides structure.

10. Babies who swim earlier have been proven to walk earlier, thanks to their excellent muscle control.