By Tim Shanley
If you’re a new parent, there are plenty of resources to turn to, but how can you be sure you’re following the right advice?
Today, there are thousands of websites, blogs, online publications and magazines dedicated to baby and toddler care. And then there are the “old-fashioned” sources such as books and grandparents. In fact, there is so much info out there that it’s not always easy to separate the truth from the myth.
Getting some guidance is great, but bad advice can often be worse than no advice. So to help you separate the wheat from the chaff, we’ll examine and debunk some common myths about babies you’ve probably heard of.
1. You Should Give Water to Newborns When It’s Hot
It easy to see how this myth got started. When the weather outside is scorching, you reach for water to cool off. And in general, people may feel better if they drink more water. Why should it be any different for babies?
Well, there are several reasons why water won’t help your little one. It can actually end up hurting the baby. As a matter of fact, the World Health Organization even recommends that you shouldn’t give any water to children under six months.
For one, the water may have impurities. Your immune system can handle them, but that may not be the case with the baby. So, this can lead to infections, diarrhea, and so on.
Secondly, there is the danger of malnutrition. A baby who’s full on water may not drink as much breast milk or may not drink it all. Also, mothers who give their babies water instead of breast milk may have less milk going forward.
Now, this isn’t to say babies don’t need to stay hydrated because they do. But breast milk is all they need during the first months of their life as it can contain as much as 80% water.
2. Babies Will Sleep Better If You Feed Them Cereal
Every parent is all too familiar with the sleepless nights that come from a baby who keeps waking up. So it’s normal you’ll be open to any suggestions regarding this issue. And one you may hear often is to give your little one cereal before bedtime.
Unfortunately, nothing connects cereal with better sleep patterns.
Again, it’s understandable how this myth came to be. When they are four to six months old, many babies will begin to sleep through the entire night. Their development will simply reach that stage.
That is the same period you may have begun to introduce solids into their diet. These two occurrences happen at the same time, but there are no direct connections between them. And there’s nothing which would single out cereal as a sleep-boosting food.
3. You Can Hold a Baby too Much
Your baby starts crying, and your first instinct is to run over there and pick the child up. But, then you hear someone advocating tough love and tell you that will spoil the baby. Completely untrue, particularly when the child is very young.
Babies cry a lot. Not because they want to trick you into giving them attention, but because that’s how they communicate. They also need contact and depend on it. It soothes them and helps them feel safe.
That’s not to say you can’t put the baby down. And as your kid gets older, it’s important for them to learn to be self-sufficient. But during those first months, you certainly won’t be spoiling your child by holding them.
4. Babies Sleep Better on Their Bellies
A baby waking up for the tenth time in a night can put you under a lot of strain. But then when you ask for advice, you hear that babies are more comfortable on their belly. It’s not uncommon to hear this recommendation from older generations.
However, you should avoid this at all cost as it can endanger the baby. In order to reduce the risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome), the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all children below the age of one should always sleep on their back.
5. Teething Always Comes with a Fever
Many believe that teething goes hand-in-hand with a fever. So, they may dismiss the elevated temperature as nothing serious. However, the two aren’t always connected. In fact, they often aren’t.
The cause of the fever may be something completely unrelated to your baby’s teeth. It may even be something which requires immediate medical attention. It’s safest then not to assume this connection.
Conclusion
Parents will get a lot of advice, even if they sometimes don’t want it. Some of it is good, like using fennel tea for colic remedy. But there are also many myths out there.
In the end, make sure to double-check everything. Particularly the info that’s “common knowledge”. Instead, rely on your pediatrician’s knowledge and don’t be afraid to ask them a lot of questions.