Infant swimming lessons may not be such a good idea

Belgian researchers are suggesting that the chlorine in swimming pools may have an adverse effect on children's lungs.

The researchers led by Dr. Alfred Bernard of the public health department at the Catholic University of Louvain in Brussels, say infant swimming lessons may not be such a good idea.

They say the chemicals used in pools could harm an infants' lungs and could lead to problems with lung development and possibly make children asthmatic.

The new study examined 341 Belgian school children aged around 11 years, and following blood and lung health tests Bernard's team noticed that 43 of the children had taken infant swimming lessons in indoor pools.

The researchers also registered other lung health hazards such as maternal smoking during pregnancy and exposure to secondhand smoke.

According to the study the lungs of children who had infant swimming lessons appeared to be predisposed to developing asthma and recurrent bronchitis.

Although the study does not provide evidence that infant swimming caused the lung problems, the researchers suggest that chlorine-related gases in indoor pools may have been a factor.

As the children had reached 11 the researchers do not know how much chlorine was in the pools in which the children had their infant swimming lessons, but they believe chlorine-related gases may cause lung irritation which is particularly damaging to under-developed infants' lungs.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advises parents to wait until a child is 4 before starting formal swimming lessons and while earlier lessons may give parents a false sense of security about their children's water safety, infant swimming lessons have not been proven to reduce the risk of drowning.

The AAP does not address the potential risks from chlorine or chlorine-related gases.

The Belgian researchers have called for more studies on the effects of chlorine products on the respiratory tract of very young children.

The study is published in the journal Pediatrics.