BABY BATH NECK FLOATS – STAY AWAY!
Your tiny one looks adorable doing basically anything, but think again before trying one seemingly cute summer baby product.
“Baby neck floats” have been showing up all over social media, but experts say that the swim aids shouldn’t go anywhere near babies’ necks, because any air-filled floatie device could deflate, putting your child at risk of drowning.
“Neck floats for babies scare me to death, and I hope they scare parents,“ says Kyran Quinlan, Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Rush University Medical Center and former chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Council on Injury, Violence and Poison Prevention. “These are potential death traps … To have your precious baby one poorly sealed seam away from going under at the pool is frightening.”
Baby neck floats first began to gain popularity a few years ago, and now are regularly used in pools and baths.
Some of the businesses that manufacture these baby neck flotation devices claim that getting babies in the water at a young age allows them to move freely, have fun and explore. While we agree that babies can enjoy the water, experts suggest that that this is not the way to do it.
“While disengaging from the world in floating tanks can be wonderfully relaxing for stressed adults, this is not what babies want or need – physically or emotionally,” said Kaylë Burgham of the Swimming Teachers’ Association. “This isolated activity completely goes against the very essence of baby swimming, which is human contact: bonding with your child so they can explore the water in a safe, relaxed, fun environment.“
The potential risks are something that the experts cannot get behind. The AAP cautions against babies using air-filled swimming aids of any kind, because any deflation of a takes away their buoyancy and could risk in drowning the child.
View recommended and approved baby bath safety products.
