Effect of baby swimming lessons on infants’ avoidance of bodies of water

We conducted two separate studies examining if the total number of swimming sessions an infant participated in predicted whether they avoided a body of water they could enter via an edge (Study 1 - Water Cliff: n = 101 infants) or a slope (Study 2 - Water Slope: n = 77 infants). The results revealed a significant interaction between number of sessions and type of entry into the water. Infants who participated in 10 or more sessions were more likely to avoid falling on the edge leading into the water but entered the water significantly more if they could access it via a slope.