SafeSplash pushes infant water safety during Baby Safety Month

SafeSplash Swim School is using Baby Safety Month in September to promote early water-safety habits for babies and toddlers, including parent-and-caregiver education, infant CPR awareness and age-appropriate swim instruction. The effort includes select-location events nationwide as drowning remains the leading cause of death for U.S. children ages 1 to 4.

Why it matters: - Drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 4 in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. - SafeSplash is framing water safety as a year-round family habit, not something to start after a child can swim alone. - The company is pairing early swim exposure with CPR readiness, supervision and barriers to help reduce risk around water.

What happened: - SafeSplash Swim School is highlighting early water safety for babies and toddlers during Baby Safety Month in September. - Select SafeSplash locations nationwide will host ParentTot events, Infant CPR Night for Parents sessions and other family resources. - Families can find participating locations and event details at safesplash.com.

The details: - ParentTot and Toddler Transition programs introduce babies and toddlers to water through guided play, songs and age-appropriate instruction. - ParentTot classes let babies and young toddlers build comfort with a parent or caregiver in the water. - Toddler Transition classes help young swimmers start building independence with support from trained instructors. - Early lessons focus on self-rescue skills, including safe pool entry and exits, breath control and supported floating. - Infant CPR Night for Parents offers free or low-cost CPR instruction led by certified instructors, local EMS, fire departments or Red Cross providers. - Those sessions also cover the National Drowning Prevention Alliance's Five Layers of Protection. - SafeSplash says its S.A.F.E.R. Swimmer Promise is part of the broader effort to bring lifesaving education to more kids nationwide.

Between the lines: - The American Academy of Pediatrics treats swim lessons as one layer of drowning prevention, alongside close supervision, barriers, CPR readiness and emergency preparedness. - SafeSplash is using Baby Safety Month to push an earlier intervention strategy, aimed at building habits before children are old enough for independent swim lessons. - Alissa Magrum, executive director of the National Drowning Prevention Alliance, said prevention must start much earlier and combine multiple layers of protection. - Chris Harkness, president of SafeSplash Swim School, said families should think about water safety from the earliest stages of childhood.

What's next: - SafeSplash will continue promoting early childhood water safety through its programs, parent education and community resources. - The company is directing families to local events as part of a broader effort to normalize infant and toddler water-safety preparation. - SafeSplash says drowning prevention should remain a conversation throughout the year, not only during Baby Safety Month.

The bottom line: - SafeSplash is using September to turn baby swim exposure into an early drowning-prevention message: start with supervision, CPR and comfort in the water, then build skills over time.