UNAIR NEWS – The use of neck floats for babies is dangerous due to the risk of injury to the neck. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has banned the use of neck floats.

Prof. Dr. dr. Roedi Irawan MKes SpA(K) from the Faculty of Medicine Universitas Airlangga spoke to UNAIR NEWS about the issue. He warned that the neck floats may cause injury if it’s too tight.

“If the float is too tight, babies may find it difficult to breathe,” he said.

Secondly, the frequent use of neck floats causes neck pain and stiffness. “This leads to neck muscular injury, which could impact the baby’s spine growth,” he added.

Thirdly, if the float springs a leak or accidentally deflates, the baby may drown. Therefore, the use of neck float should be closely supervised.

Fourthly, the float restricts the baby’s movement, making it hard for them to turn their head, express themselves, or touch their head.

“The babies are uncomfortable since they can’t move freely,” he said.

Not recommended

Prof. Roedi asserted that the use of neck floats is not advisable. However, parents can still take their babies to swim using several alternatives like armbands or water wings and baby floats.

For babies, swimming is fun. It’s perfectly fine to introduce them to swimming lessons at an early age.

The professor recommended swimming for babies, as it’s one of the enjoyable exercises. He suggested a swimming duration of 10 minutes.

“Extend their swimming session gradually. Babies under 12 months shouldn’t exceed 30 minutes per session in the pool,” he said.

Author: Icha Nur Imami Puspita

Editor: Nuri Hermawan