Baby Float
During her pitch, Kristi compared weekly exercise for adults to the cognitive and physical benefits of doing the same for infants. She explained her Float Baby spa program, which allowed for increased blood flow, strength, and better development all around. The sharks laughed when she showed the video of babies floating in the tub with collars to keep their heads up.
baby float
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning parents, caregivers, and health care providers not to use neck floats with babies for water therapy interventions, especially with babies who have developmental delays or special needs, such as spina bifida, spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type 1, Down syndrome, or cerebral palsy. The use of these products can lead to death or serious injury.
The FDA is aware that some manufacturers are claiming these products support water therapy interventions in babies with developmental delays or special needs and that the benefits of these products include increased muscle tone, greater flexibility and range of motion, increased lung capacity, better sleep quality, and increased brain and nervous system stimulation. The safety and effectiveness of neck floats to build strength, to promote motor development or as a physical therapy tool, have not been established.
The FDA is aware of one baby who died and one baby who was hospitalized related to the use of baby neck floats. In both cases the babies were injured when their caregivers were not directly monitoring them.
While the FDA believes that death or serious injury from neck floats is rare, health care providers, parents, and caregivers should be aware that these events can and do occur. It is also possible that some cases have not been reported to the FDA.
The FDA is informing parents, caregivers, and health care providers of the risk to babies who use neck floats, especially babies with developmental delays or special needs, while we work with external stakeholders to increase awareness of the issue.
Recently, the FDA became aware of companies marketing neck floats for use as a water therapy tool without FDA clearance or approval. The FDA has communicated our concerns about these promotional materials to these companies and will continue to monitor promotional materials and claims for these devices.
If you experience adverse events associated with using neck floats, we encourage you to file a voluntary report through MedWatch, the FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting program. Health care personnel employed by facilities that are subject to FDA's user facility reporting requirements should follow the reporting procedures established by their facilities.
In a safety communication issued on June 28, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned parents, caregivers, and healthcare providers not to put neck floats on babies for water therapy interventions, especially babies who have developmental delays or special needs, such as spina bifida, spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type 1, Down syndrome, or cerebral palsy.
One baby died and another was hospitalized with injuries related to the use of baby neck floats; in both incidents the caregivers were not directly monitoring the infants, according to the statement. The agency left open the possibility there are other cases that have not been reported.
"There is no data to support these neck floaties. So I think that is the most important piece for parents to know," said Sarah Denny, MD, a pediatrician at Nationwide Childrens Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, and a spokesperson for the AAP, in an interview with ABC News.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is urging parents and caregivers not to use baby neck floats after the death of at least one infant and hospitalization of another. In both cases, the babies were injured while not being directly monitored, the agency cautioned on Tuesday.
The inflatable plastic rings can be worn around a baby's neck, letting the infant float freely in water. Some are marketed for those as young as two weeks old, as well as premature babies or those with developmental delays or disabilities.
While the necks floats are touted by manufacturers as a product that gives babies mobility and as a valuable tool for special-needs infants and kids, the FDA said the effectiveness of the products has not been established.
"The safety and effectiveness of neck floats to build strength, to promote motor development or as a physical therapy tool, have not been established," the agency stated. "The risks of using neck floats include death due to drowning and suffocation, strain and injury to a baby's neck. Babies with special needs such as spina bifida or SMA Type 1 may be at increased risk for serious injury."
Baby neck floats started gaining in popularity a number of years ago, with photos of the pint-sized swim devices cropping up on social media and prompting one pediatrician to describe the products as "potential death traps" in multiple news accounts.
I am all about keeping my little ones occupied and entertained with toys and such so I can be freed up to keep my eyes locked on my older kids. The more the baby has to play with, the easier it is to be in the water with them.
I have gone through SO MANY of the inflatable style of infant pools and toddler and infant pool floats. They are more of a pain than they are worth! This one though? We bought ONE and it lasted us through two babies who were over 3 years apart in age and we still have it on hand for when babies come to visit!
An additional perk of the easy-fold and store design is that this pool float is excellent for travel. No worries about needing an air compressor to inflate it. No concerns over it popping or getting a rip. It folds up easy, includes a carrying case and is PERFECT for all your summer road trips or even airplane travels to the beach or other water fun-filled destinations!
It supports their arms, chest, and neck while their legs kick behind them, so all in all, a pretty neat design! It has all the expected safety features but the really cool thing is that it comes in different sizes, making it a good choice for a small baby all the way up to a young toddler.
This baby float comes in four different colors: light blue, dark blue, pink, and yellow. All priced differently on Amazon, of course, but all under $35! There are also different sizes available and these are all priced the same, which is odd but convenient!
For a fun option, you can never go wrong with a pink flamingo-shaped pool float! This is a baby-safe version of the popular pool party inflatable raft! How cute would it be to get a picture of older children lounging on the swimming float with baby in the baby swimming float?
This one also has a sun canopy that offers UPF 50 protection and a safety harness to strap baby in. You can also adjust it so that baby is either leaning forward or sitting upright, making it a good choice for small babies and toddlers. Recommended for age six months and up!
Just keep in mind that all of these swimming pool floats are designed from babies old enough to support their own heads to older toddlers learning how to swim on their own. And close supervision is required no matter what!
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning parents, caregivers and health professionals about the dangers of inflatable neck floats after the death of one baby and the hospitalization of another. The flotation devices are especially dangerous for children with developmental disabilities such as spina bifida, spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type 1, cerebral palsy and Down syndrome, according to the FDA.
Like anything inflatable, there is a potential for the float to spring a leak, deflate and put the infant at risk of drowning. One popular infant neck float manufacturer issued a recall of its product in 2015 for this reason.
Infant neck floats are not approved flotation devices by the United States Coast Guard (USCG). The USCG establishes and oversees marine safety regulations, including the proper fit, function and use of personal flotation devices such as life jackets. Their stamp of approval means the personal flotation device meets certain criteria when put to the test in various water conditions.
Drownings are preventable. Wearing a USCG-approved life jacket is one way to be safe around water. Keeping your eyes on your child at all times while in or near the water, be it the bathtub, pool or lake, is critical even if they are wearing a life jacket or any flotation device. In both of the neck float cases that prompted the FDA warning, neither infant was being directly monitored by their caregiver, according to the FDA.
Have you heard of the Free Swimming Baby Swim Float? It is one of the most popular baby floats currently on the market, and this is because of the unique design. If you have read my past posts, it is very similar to the LAYCOL Baby Swimming Float with Canopy (ready my review here!) So what makes the Free Swimming Baby Swim Float and stick out from the crowd? Read on to find out!
This baby float also has a very wide base, which keeps it a sturdy foundation against flipping. Your baby may be able to reach his or her fingers over the sides to touch the water, but with the horizontal position and the wide sides, your child will naturally feel more comfortable placing his or her arms in the correct nook that is created just for them.
The first reason that the horizontal position is better is that it is much more sturdy. When your child is sitting upright in a seated float, they are much more likely to tip the whole thing over. They are able to move a bit more from side to side. They can reach over each edge, and the more your child reaches, the less balance the float has. Your child can easily tip him or herself out, especially as he or she gets a little bigger.
When your baby is in the horizontal position he or she cannot reach very far out from side to side or even in front. Your child can only reach far enough out to paddle in the water, but not so much that there is any danger of flipping over. 041b061a72