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William David Carr, MD

Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2009;163(10):961-962.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

As a private practice pediatrician in Florida for 25 years, I have been confronted with the tragedy of pediatric drowning and near drowning all too often. I have researched pediatric drowning-prevention methods, including swimming instruction. I served as the medical advisor to the State of Florida's Aquatic Safety Advisory Committee from 1992 to 1994. Almost all programs that came before that committee could be considered "formal" as defined in Brenner and colleagues' study.¹ However, the safety and effectiveness of these programs varied greatly.

Whether formal or not, swimming lessons for infants and young children fall into 6 categories based on their methods, goals, and objectives:

1. Structured play programs use games to acclimate children to water.
   
2. Water-adjustment programs use a leader who directs groups of parents and infants in activities to promote bonding and trust in the water.
   
3. Swimming-readiness programs use floatation devices to allow active exploration . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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