Can you enjoy your spa with children?
Once you’ve installed your spa, all you want to do is lounge around. But just as you’re about to put on your bathing suit, a little voice asks you: “Mommy, can I have a bath too?”. While this is usually a question you can easily answer for the sea or the pool, with a spa it’s a little trickier.
Between what we hear but isn’t necessarily true, and the facts, it’s hard to see clearly. That’s why we’re answering the question “Can children bathe in spas?
What to consider
The first major issue with children using whirlpool baths concerns their ability to regulate temperature and the possibility of hyperthermia, especially when the spa is heated to 38°.
The second problem with children in spas concerns bacterial infections. Children are more fragile from an immune point of view. They can absorb pathogens through the skin, ears, eyes, mouth and respiratory tract.
And thirdly, the most important reason – is that unsupervised children’s access to the spa can lead to the risk of drowning.
Precautions
- High temperatures: young children have thin skin. They absorb heat much more quickly than adults, and can overheat within minutes, causing dizziness, nausea or even unconsciousness. Children over the age of five should limit bathing time to less than 10 minutes.
- Exposure to bacteria: in a private spa – assuming your spa is not overused and is carefully maintained – the risk of exposure to bacteria can be reduced. That’s why it’s essential to maintain your spa rigorously and check the water quality on a regular basis.
- Drowning: a spa should always be covered when not in use, making it unlikely that a young child will enter. A spa in the house or garden can be just as dangerous as a swimming pool, and should be treated as such. Teach your children never to use a spa or hot tub without constant adult supervision.
- Jets: spa jets can be powerful. And while there’s no risk of injury to the body, hair or jewelry can be sucked into the jets. It is therefore advisable to deactivate the jets when a child is present in the spa.
Precautions to take when allowing children to enjoy the spa
The hard part is that kids love hot tubs. They’re drawn to them because the dimensions of a spa are close to those of a mini-pool. If you want to allow children to use your spa, here are a few sensible rules to make it safer.
- Shower before using the spa
- Limit bathing time to less than 10 minutes
- Keep your head above water at all times
- No more than 3-4 children at a time
- Constant adult supervision
- Bring towels and cold drinks
