Focus

Beijing babies soak up specialist pools

By Wu Wencong (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-08-24 08:11

Water-induced relaxation is the name of the game for babies seeking an alternative to crying and sleeping.    Photos by ZOU HONG / China Daily

It's bath time and so much more for newborns wanting a dip in the capital

As the weather stays warm, taking a dip in the pool continues to have great appeal for swimmers from all walks of life in Beijing and babies are no exception.

The city's pools are seeing a flood of interest from new mothers, eager to get their little ones out of their arms and into the water. But while most are not set up to handle very young swimmers, Beijing now offers clubs that specialize in exactly what a baby needs.

"After a baby comes here for their first time, they will always want to come back," said Zheng Yan, general manager of Doctor Ma Baby Swimming, the first specific baby swimming pool chain in Beijing.

Unlike adults, the emphasis in baby swimming is firmly on having fun rather than improving technique.

With special floating devices attached to their necks rather than under their arms, babies can perform simple stretching exercises with help from professional nursing staff.

The exercise is certainly enjoyable but nothing compares with its physical benefits - baby swimming is considered the only exercise suitable for infants under one year old, besides crying and crawling of course.

As with a regular pool, all newborns have to take a shower before they can get into the tub. Photos by ZOU HONG / China Daily

 

Zheng said contact with water, as well as the movement of the waves and the feeling of buoyancy, is similar to the environment of the uterus. The experience works as a form of massage, releasing tension caused by crying or being wrapped up tightly.

She said babies also develop better coordination, flexibility and strength in the pool. The exercise might last only 10 to 20 minutes but it is considered a full body workout.

"Research shows that babies with more than three months of swimming experience are healthier than others at the same age. Swimming works the heart, improves immunologic function, digestion and absorption rates, as well as boosts the quality of sleep," said Li Pu, senior consultant with New Century International Children's Hospital.

Not all opinions are positive though, with experts in the US - where this type of exercise was started in the 1960s - stating that a low gravity environment might affect a child's bones and nervous system.

"There is nothing to worry about as long as a baby doesn't swim for more than 30 minutes," said Zheng, who only employs staff with working experience in the maternity departments of hospitals.

The average size of a swimming pool is not like most new mothers expect - each pool is separate and generally holds about 1 cubic meter of water, although there are larger ones available for bigger kids.

Zheng said the basins are disinfected before use and sealed with a plastic film until the arrival of a little body. The water is purified and as clean as that intended for drinking.

"Cleanliness and hygiene are always the mothers' greatest concerns," she said, noting that a quality pool center should also have a special area set aside for breast feeding after a swim.

"There are about 150,000 newborn babies in Beijing every year, which indicates a promising future for this industry," she said. "The key to success is to be professional."

Zheng's confidence is supported by the actions of moms with children under one year old. They are the "post 80s" generation, a group she perceives as "fashionable advocates of change in science and technology, with good taste".

Zhu Xiaolan, 29, the mother of a seven-month-old boy, said her son has been a swimmer since his birth and has just won a competition in which 80 babies were marked on their ability to change poses when staying afloat and holding a big smile.

"Swimming has made him happier," she said. "He used to cry when placed in a strange environment, but now he only does this when he is hungry or tired."

And for others, the benefits of baby swimming go beyond the child itself.

Li Zhuyun, 29, said taking her five-month-old son swimming every week has become "an important event" for the whole family.

"My husband never wants to go shopping with me but he loves to watch our son in the swimming pool," she said. "Watching my child thrash about, with his cheeks all rosy, is the happiest time of my life."

China Daily

(China Daily 08/24/2010)