swimming and babies

[Lollypop]

How old should a baby be before he can go swimming?

at our local pool, they won't take babies at the swimming class until they have had all the first set of jabs, i.e. 16 wks. hth.

I looked into this and the answer is pretty much as young as you like. Babies should have had their first lot of jabs before they go in a public pool though, but as long as you have the energy, it's no problem!

I took DD at 4 months, after her third dose of jabs - to be on the safe side. And she loved it!

Our pool says wait until 6 weeks after the 4 month jabs - -they don't want the live polio virus getting into the water.

Yeah- it varies - main problem is the live polio virus from the baby jabs (that's why they say to wait until you've had all 3 then your baby is protected against polio) The risk is miniscule though. ds1 went swimming after first 2 lots but before third (and I was told that was OK by organiser- he did that underwater swimming stuff). ds2 (14 months) hasn't had any jabs and has been swimming- although not very often- but only as I can't manage both ds's. the risk though is to him from other babies who've just had polio jab, not from him to other babies iyswim

My DS was 15 weeks (swimming class in a private pool). He has always loved it but I don't know whether that is because of his nature or because he started so early.

Our GP (who I trust and has 4 young children) scoffed about the polio vaccine risk so if your baby is a little one it would be worth asking your GP.

I thnk your gp is right gem- unless you have a really non functioning immune systme the risk is absolutely tiny. There are occasional cases in the UK of people catching polio from the vaccine. In the UK there were 13 cases between 1985 and 1991 (british med J 1992 305 79-81). Apparently the risk is estimated to be one case per 1.4-2.5 million (WHO figures)- although I'm not clear but that may be the risk for the recipient- I guess the risk would be about the same or less for an unvacinated child/adult in a pool- among the immuno-compromised that increases by about 10000 times apparently.
HTH- stats don't u just love em- tiny risk anyway- safer than crossing the road!

Thanks , I'll wait a bit then as DS is only 3 months and has only had one set of jabs so far.

I was told that the only thing that remains a risk with all the chlorine is tetanus and this is only a problem if you/your baby has an open cut. The other things that your baby is vaccinated against with the 1st set of jabs are sprted out by the chlorine.

I took mine as soon as I could. I went on an underwater photo session where there was a 6 week old baby and a 1 week old baby too. This was in a very warm school hydrotherapy pool.

The main concern is not to keep them in too long in a chilly public pool until they are old enough to regulate their temperature. Watch your baby very closely for signs that they're getting cold.

tetanus????? how bizarre- you need a puncture wound with no oxygen in it to get tetanus. It helps if if the wound comes from somthing has been lying around in farm dirt for a while (farm workers are a risk group for tetanus) I suppose you could step on a rusty muddy nail and have a deep puncture wound cut...... Or maybe a cat could bite you in the pool.........

How strange......... I'm not taking the mick out of you btw soupdragon- just wondering who told you that!

good point about the cold soupdragon- we used to go in a hydrotherapy pool when ds1 was small as well.

It was someone in the medical profession. She wasn't saying it was at all likely, just that it was the only thing not killed off by the chlorine & a theroetical risk. At least that's how I remember it - it was nearly 4 years ago!

We took both of ours from the week after their first set of jags. The loved it. We were part of a baby swimming class in a local hydrotherapy pool and it was great. They both loved it and continue to do so, and have no worries in the water at all.

I see soupdragon. Just curious Actually tetanus is the one vaccination that I will probably give ds2- I just couldn't imagine getting it in a simming pool. I was laughing as I wrote the post so hope I didn't sound too whatever.....

Wonder why tetanus isn't killed when the other viruses would be?..... And wouldn't the oxygen destroy it? It's an obligate anaerobe. I'm going to ponder this all night. This is the sort of puzzle I enjoy (yep I have no social life.) I reckon we're back to the cat!

BW!!

First mistake tetanus is caused by a bacteria -durr no marks for me- but then wouldn't chlorine be more likely to kill it????

Don't ask me - I'm utterly clueless!!

I am, however, very good at repeating back 1001 'useless' pieces of information (did you know that Trafalgar Square is the geographical centre of London?)

It's probably the gravitational centre too due to the weight of all the pigeon sh*t....

jimjams - it was someone in the medical profession that told her. That ought to tell you something. I could write a whole thread on bollocks heard from 'someone in the medical profession'. Don't wish to offend any, but their knowledge can be very general. I doubt some even know what an anaerobe is.

But presumably someone in Infection Control would have a clue what they were talking about.

@ droile and georgina and soupdragon

I thought Charing Cross was the centre of London?

Not according to the little trivia questions on our Virgin Atlantic flight. It did specifically say "geographical centre" though. Mind you, I'm not sure what other sort of center there is

A little internet research lists the West End, Covent Garden Charing Cross and Nelson's column as being the geographical centre of London. More mentions for Nelson's column though but who knows! How do you decide the centre of an irregular shaped thing like London anyway??