Get a grip, baby. Those swimming lessons pay off in several ways

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Teaching babies to swim might assuage their fear of water and provide good exercise, but it could have other benefits as well, according to a new study.

Researchers from Norway and the United Kingdom found that children who had taken baby swimming classes did better on tests involving gripping and reaching as well as balance, compared to children who had no experience swimming as babies.

The study participants included 19 4-year-olds from Iceland who had taken part in baby swimming lessons for two hours a week for at least four months when the children were infants. They were matched with 19 Icelandic 4-year-olds who had not done any baby swimming.

Baby swimming lessons typically include a warmup session with parents moving the children through water and encouraging them to stand supported on a hand. The babies also do somersaults on a floating mattress, dive under water, pick up floating rings and jump into the pool from a supported position on the side.

The 4-year-olds were tested for manual dexterity, ball skills and balance. While there were no overall differences in performance between the groups, researchers found that the swimming group did better on prehension (seizing or grasping objects) and static balance.

Although this was a small study, the authors considered the results encouraging enough to warrant further study to see what other benefits baby swimming and aquatic therapy could offer. The study appears in the May issue of the journal Child: Care, Health and Development.

-- Jeannine Stein