Infant life vests
If you go to great lengths to make sure that adults or teenagers are equipped with life vests when they go near the water, all the more should you be concerned when you bring infants to go test the water or ride the boat. It takes only a couple of minutes for accidents to happen. We should never be complacent about safety, even if we or other adults are around to keep watch. We should always make sure that children, especially infants are equipped with safety vests. Infant life vests on babies are first steps in insuring their safety around water.
A second step is to buy the right kind of infant life vest. The major concern is safety so we should make sure that the flotation device is Coast Guard approved. It should say so in the label. The fit and size is important. A good test of size is when your child raises their arms above their heads (if they’re old enough to do so); the top of the jacket should not go above their ears. For infants and toddlers under the age of 3 years old, and under the weight of 30 pounds, the personal floatation should have a head and neck rest, a strap that slips under the child’s crotch to prevent them from slipping out of the life vest, and a hook on the back of the vest to assist adults in easily pulling the child out of the water. Choose bright colored life vests for easy visibility.