Reply #12: This is a risk of swimming lessons for babies. I first heard about this [View All]

[pnwmom]

almost 20 years ago. A baby that swallows too much water in the pool is at risk.

http://www.stlouischildrens.org/tabid/88/itemid/166/Water-Intoxication-in-Infants.aspx

In fact, according to pediatricians like James P. Keating, MD, medical director of the St. Louis Children's Hospital Diagnostic Center, too much water dilutes a baby's normal sodium levels and can lead to seizures, coma, brain damage and death.

Breast milk or formula provides all the fluid healthy babies need. If a mother feels her baby needs to take additional water, it should be limited to two to three ounces at a time and should be offered only after the baby has satisfied his hunger with breast feeding or formula.

Dr. Keating also recommends that parents avoid participating in infant swimming lessons. "Repeated dunking of infants can cause them to gulp water and has caused seizures in the infants at the poolside," he says.

Since the brain is the organ most susceptible to water intoxication, a change of behavior is usually the first symptom in older children. They may become confused, drowsy or inattentive. They also may suffer from blurred vision, muscle cramps and twitching, poor coordination, nausea and vomiting, irregular breathing and weakness. If you notice any of these symptoms, call your pediatrician.