Mothers who have allergies or asthma may want to think twice before enrolling their babies in swimming classes. ScienceDaily reports on a recent study conducted by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH)using data from the Norwegian Mother and Child Study (MoBa).

Most children who are enrolled in baby swimming classes do not manifest an increase in lower respiratory tract infections, ear inflammation, or tightness and wheezing in the chest; but among babies whose mothers have allergies or asthma, a slightly higher percentage of babies who participated in swimming had chest tightness or wheezing: 47% in baby swimmers, compared to 44% of non-swimmers.

Department Director at the NIPH's Division of Epidemiology and primary author of the study, Wenche Nystad, says, ‘The difference is not large but it indicates a tendency to respiratory problems.’

Previous studies suggested a link between airway infections and baby swimming, possibly due to environmental factors like volatile chlorination products used in indoor swimming pools.