Contact with water, even from birth, may be an important experience for child development. In this work, we aimed to investigate if baby swimming might influence infant development in motor and cognitive domains. We assigned infants to either a 10-week baby swimming intervention ( n = 12; M age = 13 months ( SD) = 7) or a control group ( n = 15; M age = 22 months ( SD) = 6). We assessed motor development with the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales (2nd edition, PDMS-2) and cognitive development with core tests of executive functions: delayed response for working memory, object retrieval for inhibition, and A-not-B for response shifting. Non-parametric analyses revealed that infants in the baby-swimming group improved in gross, fine, and total motor skills, and showed marginally better inhibition speed and shifting accuracy, with associated gains of shifting accuracy and fine and total motor skills. Even with in this small-sized convenience sample, this pilot study revealed promising benefits from baby swimming on motor development that warrant further study. This preliminary work paves the way for replication and illustrates what effect sizes may be expected in sufficiently powered well-designed follow-up research targeted to aid the joint development of motor and cognitive skills as early as infancy.
Safety and quality in sport environments are ruled by regulations and supported by monitoring tools. An integrated approach to assess environmental air quality in sport facilities can impact on wellness and promote physical activity and healthy life styles in different recreational settings. We review the national and international regulations of indoor air quality in gyms and pools. A field survey was performed in sport facilities using standardized monitoring techniques. Data on air microbiology and thermal comfort were compared with individual perception by a questionnaire. The results obtained are in accordance with other studies and did not reveal major health hazards. However, it is desirable to implement air exchange and monitor microclimate parameters in these facilities. The indoor air quality complies with the national standards for non-industrial premises. The questionnaires showed a general satisfaction for safety and hygiene levels. In conclusion, we provide a state of the art on regulations and environmental markers in sport plants, suggesting an integrated approach for surveillance based on laboratory test and questionnaires data. The whole of the results provides strategies and guidelines for improving environmental quality in sport and recreational settings.
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