Is it true that newborns can swim?

tut tut tut, how silly some people can be! of course newborns CAN NOT breathe under water!! the reason for them surviving in the womb is because the amilical cord provides the foetus with oxygen, foetus in the womb do not breath in and out as they do when they are born, the moment the cord is cut newborns take their first breath and if that was to happen underwater then the baby would dround as like any other human being! A foetus doesnt swim in the womb, it floats, it is attached to the placenta via the ambilical cord. A newborn will feel secure and safe when in water as of the memory of being in the womb, do not allow newborns to submerge as they will dround just likeany other human being!!

i have heard that but would never try it on my son. i wouldnt take any chances. they have mommy baby swim classes at the YMCA. i have heard that if you blow in the baby's face then dunk him/her in water then bring back up theres no harm done. i would still be uncomfortable about it unless my doctor told me it was safe to do and only under the supervision of someone trained in that field. never on my own. i dont even pour water over my sons face during a bath lol! i wash his face with his washcloth.

yes. i do believe it's true. have you heard of water birth wherein the mother gives birth in a pool? And i think newborns can breathe in water. After all, babies swim in amniotic fluid before they're born, right?

Yes they can swim because of their reflexes... which they eventually lose though but they cannot breathe under water after their umbilical cord has been cut after birth.

I do think I have heard as well that it may be possible that they would not breathe in the water, but I have also heard that it is not safe for them because of their body size and the fact that they could swallow alot of water and end up with water intoxication. So, it's not something I would encourage anyone to try.

I have not heard this before. Where did you hear it?

I dont really know... i mean have not tried it... dont want to either... dont want to experiment on that... babies are so delicate....

Some say because they were submerge in water in their mother's womb is why baby's can easily adopt to water. What really drowns us adults is that we have forgotten how it feels when its underwater. We panic immediately and our lungs are easily filled with water cuasing for us to drown. For babies they do not panic like we do that is why their lungs automatically shuts down for a tiem he gets tha hang of swimming. I have seen there's a school for swimming and they especialized in babies becuase they believe they can easily be taught to float than those that never had the experience of swimming during their childhood.

well i have seen a 6 month old baby that was in the pool with her mom and the mom let go of the baby in the water and baby did actually swam without the mommy holding her

They can actually stay afloat as they dont panic and move suddenly.People who dont know swimming drown because they panic and move suddenly.

I believe that newborn can swim but they can stay for long in the water. It would be stressful to them swimming and struggling for oxygen because they are no longer inside the mother's womb. I beleive they can swim for a few seconds and float bbut if there wouldn't be help form adult, eventually they would suffocate themselves and die.

i remember my introduction to anthropology,psychology and sociology teacher from high school saying something about this. she said that births where the baby comes out underwater is common and that babies won't suffocate from being underwater as long as they havent reached the surface yet. as soon as they reach the surface they no longer have this capability and they can drown. i dont know whether this is true or not but it is possible