Many parenting myths are just 'old wives tales,' and while they are generally not harmful, they can be confusing to a new parent who is trying to learn to do the right thing for their children.
Some of the bigger parenting myths revolve around that:
- babies should be put on a rigid four-hour feeding schedule.
- having a green or yellow runny nose and needing antibiotics.
- a high fever is dangerous.
- teething causes fever, diarrhea, vomiting, or diaper rashes
- giving your infant cereal will help him to sleep through the night.
- colic is caused by formula allergies, the iron in baby formula, or gas, etc.
- you shouldn't give your baby milk or dairy products when he has a runny nose or fever.
- you can spoil a baby by holding them too much.
Baby Food Myths and Facts
A non-scientific-based 2005 article by a food writer for the Associated Press appeared claimed that it was "time to discard everything you think you know about feeding babies. It turns out most advice parents get about weaning infants onto solid foods, even from pediatricians, is more myth than science."
Unfortunately, the advice to "ditch the rice cereal and mashed peas, and make way for enchiladas, curry and even -- gasp! -- hot peppers," isn't based on science either.
While you could likely feed your baby the spicy foods that the rest of your family eats, there is likely nothing wrong with the more traditional method of feeding cereal, veggies, fruits and then meats, and saving the spicier foods for when you start table foods.
So neither method is really a myth or based on facts...
Sources: Hirsch JM. Bring on the curry: Little science to support most infant feeding assumptions. The Atlanta-Journal Constitution. October 10, 2005. Infant feeding: can we spice it up a bit? Blumberg S - J Am Diet Assoc - 01-APR-2006; 106(4): 504-5.
