A woman who teaches infants and young children to swim is warning parents not to buy blue bathing suits for their children.
Nikki Scarnati, a certified infant swimming instructor and mother of three, uploaded a video on TikTok to alert parents of the dangers of wearing a swimsuit that matches the color of the pool, making it more difficult to keep track of a child in a pool.
Scarnati posted the video of her own daughter swimming in a pool while wearing a blue one-piece bathing suit. In the video, her daughter’s head can be seen above the water, but the rest of her body is difficult to make out as the blue color of the suit blends in with the pool under the water.
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“This is why you do not put your children in blue bathing suits. Look at how difficult it is to see her under the water,” Scarnati explained in the video which has been viewed more than 4 million times. “And this is in calm water. This is not with a whole bunch of other kids playing and splashing around and having a good time.”
“So, do not buy blue bathing suits, guys,” she said, adding that parents need to “buy bright ones” instead.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drowning is the second-leading cause of unintentional injury deaths for children ages 0 to 17. It is the leading cause for those between ages 1 and 4.
The YMCA offers these tips to help keep children safe around water:
· Make sure kids know to always ask permission before going into or near water.
· Designate a responsible adult to be a Water Watcher and maintain constant visual contact with all children playing in or near the water.
· Water Watchers: make sure you’re not distracted by your phone, a book or other tasks.
· Don’t rely on water toys to protect weak swimmers. Coast Guard-approved life jackets are the only water safety devices certified to protect children.
· Teach children to avoid drains in the pool: drains can cause them to get trapped under the water.
· Don’t let kids play breath-holding games. They can easily lose consciousness.