May 14, 2008
More information about the information you heard on the
Today Show:
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.
Because turning your back – even for a second – can be enough time for a curious toddler to reach the water.
Selecting a Swim Program
- A word of caution to parents – not all infant swimming instruction programs are created equal. There are thousands of competing swimming instructors nationwide, and you can easily find someone willing to " teach swimming to your kids ". But what is VITAL for parents to understand is that only Infant Swimming Resource's nation-wide network of Instructors provide safe infant swim lessons that teach children as young as 6-months old self-rescue skills and do so in a manner that is completely safe and PROVEN.
- Many parents don't realize the dangers of introducing babies to water (6-months to 4 years old) before they know how to save their lives in an unexpected water encounter. "Mommy & Me" classes can prove to be ultimately dangerous for your baby. Before your baby should feel confident to safely enjoy the water, they must first learn the skills needed for self-rescue.
Why Infant Swimming Resource?
- In support of the underlying theory behind the American Academy of Pediatrics' (AAP) formal statement on the health and safety hazards of teaching infants and toddlers under the age of four years old to swim, Infant Swimming Resource cautions parents to carefully evaluate the swimming program they choose for their young children. Parents need to understand that Infant Swimming Resource is the only recognized swim instruction program with proven techniques that combines teaching children to enjoy the water with teaching them critical self-rescue skills. We are the only comprehensive drowning prevention strategy with a perfect safety record and a proven infrastructure that includes a technique that has been used for over 175,000 babies and an Instructor training program that continues to grow with increasing quality control and protocols.
- Infant Swimming Resource has delivered more than six million lessons safely to over 175,000 infants and young children over a 40-year span, has 787 documented cases of a child using ISR techniques for self-rescue, and a 100% effectiveness rate.
- ISR is the safest provider of swimming lessons for babies and toddlers between six months and four years old and the only national swimming method of its kind that emphasizes developmentally-appropriate instruction focused on self-rescue skills.
"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.
9 Tips for Protecting Your Child in Water Environments