ADHD, Down syndrome, wellness and swimming – What is the common thread?

ADHDor attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and Down syndrome are two conditions that can directly influence your little one's well-being. What is the connection between them and aquatic education? Well, we can say that anyone who is connected to health information knows that swimming is perhaps the sport that is most beneficial for the human body and psyche. In the case of babies, the benefits are even more commendable, because aquatic movement, coordinated by the skills of an instructor from a very young age, is a gift that our little ones can use throughout their lives. And we don't say it, specialists say it, from pediatricians to researchers, who, following their studies and experience with the health of little ones, have discovered that aquatic education brings a long and important range of benefits to the physical and mental health of children, even from 2-3 months old.

This sport is a discipline with gradual methods, personalized to the baby's needs, with the help of a specialized instructor, so that the little swimmer develops in a balanced way through the numerous benefits of this activity.

But let's not get too carried away with this introduction and discover what the most important studies on ADHD, Down syndrome, motor balance and swimming in babies.

1. Motor balance and swimming in babies
2. Down syndrome in children and muscle development
3. ADHD in children and well-being
4. Swimming for babies: how to choose aquatic education courses

Motor balance and swimming in babies

We will put balance at the top of the list of benefits that swimming brings to children. And we will emphasize motor balance, which has been demonstrated by a study from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, on two groups of 19 babies each. The only factor that differentiated the two groups was the fact that the first group benefited from aquatic education for 2 hours per week from 2-3 months to 7 months. Otherwise, all the children had the same parental, economic, and educational status. At the age of 5, both groups of children were tested, with the little ones undergoing identical motor tests. The result? More than amazing. The children in the first group demonstrated better motor skills than those in the second group.

"We clearly observed that the baby swimmers were the best at exercises that involved balance and the ability to grasp and manipulate objects. It is extremely interesting for us to see how specific aquatic training for babies leads to benefits later in life. A child's development is an interconnected dynamic between maturation, growth, experience and learning. Our study demonstrates that we should not underestimate the educational aspect of swimming at all,” says Hermundur Sigmundsson, the study leader.

Down syndrome in children and muscle development

As the baby moves in the water, his muscles have to work harder against the resistance of the water and at the same time, due to the specific inertia, he does not feel the effort as intensely as on land. Moreover, because the impact on the bones is minor, the risk of unwanted accidents is considerably reduced. As a result, the muscles become stronger and develop faster, gaining flexibility and strength, becoming the basis of a healthy and agile body. Many studies have been conducted in this regard, but perhaps the most eloquent are the studies conducted on children with Down syndrome and those with autism, of which we mention one study conducted in Romania itself and published in the magazine Sport și Societate in December 2012, carried out by analyzing the cognitive and emotional evolution of six children with Down syndrome. They benefited from aquatic education for 6 months. At the end of the test period, an evolution of the muscular capacities of the little ones involved in the study was observed. Another study interesting is the one conducted by the University of Edinburgh on 14 children with cerebral palsy who, after 10 weeks of aquatic education of 2 sessions per week of 50 minutes, demonstrated a clear improvement in motor skills, which were observed not only in the aquatic environment, but also in movements on land.

ADHD in children and well-being

Perhaps the most appreciated short-term benefit of swimming for babies, especially by parents, is their well-being. More precisely, we start with the fact that the effort put into the water leads to better oxygenation of the brain, but also to a massive energy consumption, which further leads to a restful sleep afterwards. Also in the same line comes the stimulation of the little one's appetite, another benefit appreciated by mothers. Moreover, the routine, the lightness of the movements, the specific inertia of the water, the one-to-one sessions, the tranquility and the lack of aggressive stimuli make aquatic education the most effective activity in the therapy of children with cognitive disabilities. Of course, studies in this regard demonstrate that aquatic education brings benefits on an emotional level, being, in addition to cognitive and physical stimulation, also an anti-stress therapy for all children. A study supported by the Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense in Brazil analyzed the effect of swimming on 33 children of both sexes diagnosed with ADHDThey benefited from aquatic education for 8 weeks and at the end of the study it was demonstrated that aquatic exercises have a visible positive effect on stress, depression, cognitive balance and selective attention parameters.

We cannot conclude without emphasizing that the well-being induced by aquatic education transcends all the above benefits with major health benefits, at a much more detailed level, through supported studies, which, even if they were conducted on children or not, are extremely relevant, such as cardiovascular health, release of endorphins which bring well-being, respiratory health, bone and cartilage health with particular effect on bone density.

Swimming for babies: how to choose aquatic education courses

Now that you understand and have been shown that swimming is the sport that can bring the most benefits to a baby, because it can be started as early as 2-3 months, it seems like you are moving on to the concretization of these benefits. However, it is not so easy to choose an aquatic education center, because your baby, being still new to this world, is much more sensitive and vulnerable to the environment outside the home nest. Chlorinated water in a pool, an inadequate temperature, an inappropriate approach, contact with viruses or bacteria can destroy an experience that was intended to be beneficial.

Aquatic Baby Club is an aquatic center dedicated to babies that makes great efforts to offer your little one a safe space where aquatic education can offer children exactly the benefits that are attributed to it. Being an example in the field, we took as a reference the conditions provided by Acvatic Bebe Club and found out what you need to check at such a center, according to the center manager, Carmen Dumitru:

• " Water disinfection is done through a mixed system of saline electrolysis, ozone and UV rays with a direct effect on the quality and purity of the water, which in this way has no chlorine smell at all;
• The automatic dehumidification system ensures automatic regulation of humidity and water and air temperature;
• Our instructors have the professional training and personal qualities that enable them to create a fun and effective learning environment in each swimming lesson, adapted to the needs of each child, through individual sessions;
• Before starting aquatic education courses, several analyzes are required for children, respectively for the accompanying adult, if they wish to participate in pool classes."

Therefore, whether you want your child to become an Olympian or to acquire a skill that will give them joy and can save their life, swimming is, without a doubt, the form of exercise that brings them the most benefits on their physical and emotional health. The effect of aquatic education is all the stronger and lasts longer the more the child begins the routine of this sport at a younger age. And you as a parent, in addition to the fact that you will pat yourself on the back and praise yourself for a truly beneficial decision for your child, you will rejoice at the thought that in years and years your child, as an adult, will enjoy enviable health and will say to himself: "It's a good thing my parents took me swimming when I was little."

Bibliography

• Blauw-Hospers, CH, Hadders-Algra, M. (2005) A systematic review of the effects of early intervention on motor development. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 47, 421–432.
• Hopkins, B., Westra, T. (1988) Maternal handling and motor development: An intracultural study. Genetic Social and General Psychology Monographs, 114, 377–408.
• Langendorfer, SJ, Bruya, LD (1995) Aquatic readiness: Developing water competence in young children. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
• Sigmundsson, H. and B. Hopkins. 2010. Baby swimming: exploring the effects of early intervention on subsequent motor abilities, Child: Care Health and Development. 36:3, 428-430. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2214.2009.00990.x
• Brenner RA Gitanjali ST, Haynie DL, Trumble AC, Qian C., Klinger RM, Klebanoff MA, Association Between Swimming Lessons and Drowning in Childhood: A case control study. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine 2009; 163(3):203-210
• Zelazo PR, Weiss MJ, "Infant Swimming Behaviors: Cognitive Control and Influence of Experience." Journal of Cognitive Development 7 (1); 2006: pp. 1-25