Parenting Myths
Updated March 05, 2015.
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:
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.
Health Alert - Homemade Baby Cereal
Updated March 05, 2015.
Rice cereal is typically the first food that experts recommend that you feed your baby because it is the least likely to trigger an allergic reaction.
The second big reason is that commercial baby cereal is fortified with iron, and beginning around six months, especially if they are breastfeeding, babies need an extra source of iron.
A commercial dry baby cereal, such as the Gerber single grain Rice Cereal for Baby has about 5 mg of iron in every 4 Tablespoon serving of dry cereal -- but maybe less depending on how much breast milk, formula, or water you mix with the dry cereal.
In addition to the green vegetables and meats that your baby will eventually eat, an iron-fortified baby cereal is a great way to make sure she is getting enough iron in her diet without having to actually give her an extra vitamin or supplement.
On the other hand, homemade baby cereal is not going to have very much iron in it at all. In general, unfortified brown and white rice is actually rather low in iron.
Even enriched rice doesn't come close to approaching the amount of iron in an iron fortified baby cereal. For example, one brand of enriched long grain white rice has 15% daily value or daily iron requirements of iron per cup of cooked rice. That comes to about 3 mg of iron per cup (18 mg equals 100% iron requirements for an adult on a nutrition facts label) or less than 1 mg for the 3 or 4 Tablespoons that your baby will likely eat.
That isn't to say that you can't make and feed your baby your own homemade baby cereal. Just keep in mind that it is likely not a good source of iron for your baby and you may either need to give your baby a vitamin with iron or other high iron foods.
Iron-rich baby foods will usually include:
Carotenemia
Updated March 05, 2015.
As your baby eats more baby food, especially vegetables and fruits with a deep green or yellow color, you may notice that her skin color also takes on a more yellow to orange color too. It may be especially noticeable on her palms, soles, and over her nasolabial folds (the skin that runs from the bottom of your nose to the corner of your mouth).
This is called carotenemia and is caused by the high levels of beta-carotene in certain foods.
It should not be confused with jaundice, which would also make your baby's white eyes turn yellow.
In general, foods that are high in beta-carotene include yellow-orange fruits and vegetables and dark green leafy vegetables.
Examples of baby foods that are likely high in beta-carotene include:
Other foods that are high in beta-carotene, but which generally aren't found in commercially prepared baby food include pumpkin, collard greens, beans, egg yolks, and yams. Of course, once your baby starts eating table food or if you are making homemade baby food, she may get more of these high beta-carotene foods than infants who are just eating jarred baby food.
No treatment is necessary for carotenemia, although you can perhaps offer fewer foods high in beta-carotene if you like. This does become less of a problem as your baby gets older, especially as she becomes a preschooler. Mashing and pureeing foods makes the beta-carotene in the food easier to absorb, which may explain why it is more of an issue with baby food.
Handwashing
Updated March 05, 2015.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration states that handwashing is "your first step in keeping your children safe," since you can easily spread bacteria to your baby from:
Although washing your hands properly is an easy way to remove bacteria from your hands and help protect your baby, studies show that new parents often don't wash their hands after changing diapers, going to the bathroom, or preparing raw food.
Experts usually recommend that you wash your hands with warm water and soap by thoroughly scrubbing your hands for 15 to 30 seconds (the longer the better -- with 60 seconds of handwashing actually being the ideal time). Afterwards, rinse and then dry your hands with a clean towel or paper towel that you will not reuse.
Instead of soap and water, using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer can also be a good way to get your hands free of germs, especially if they are not heavily soiled and soap and water isn't available. Because of their high alcohol content, supervise young children who use them though, so that they don't accidentally ingest the hand sanitizer.
Good times to wash your hands include after you go to the bathroom, change your baby's diaper, cough or sneeze into your hands, touch your pet, and touching any contaminated surface. You should also wash your hands before preparing baby food and feeding your baby and both before and after you handle other food.
Also encourage guests and other caregivers to wash their hands before touching or carrying your baby.
Sources:
FDA/Center for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition. Food Safety for Moms to Be: Once Baby Arrives.
The effectiveness of hand hygiene procedures in reducing the risks of infections... Bloomfield S - Am J Infect Control - December 1, 2007; 35(10 Suppl 1); S27-S64.
Swimming with your Baby
Updated March 05, 2015.
The American Academy of Pediatrics issued a policy statement in April 2000, stating that "children are not developmentally ready for swimming lessons until after their fourth birthday."
This confused some parents, who thought that meant that they shouldn't enroll their infants in swimming lessons at all.
The point of the AAP is more that baby swimming programs shouldn't substitute for adult supervision around a pool.
Instead, these "infant and toddler aquatic programs provide an opportunity to introduce young children to the joy and risks of being in or around water."
In addition to drowning, when swimming with your baby, the AAP warns parents to think about pool safety and be prepared for and avoid:
It will be some time before your baby is actually swimming, but that doesn't mean that she won't enjoy some time in the pool. When can you start?
Surprisingly, there aren't any formal guidelines on when you can take your baby into the pool with you. Some parents take their babies for a swim as early as two months, while others like to wait until they are at least six months old or a little older. It is probably a good idea to wait until your baby can hold her head up without support and when the weather is warm enough so that she won't get cold in the water.
And keep in mind that not all babies like being in the water, so keep your first few trips into the pool brief. Also, keep your hands on your baby at all times, don't let her head go under the water, and protect her from the sun.
Sources:
Swimming Programs for Infants and Toddlers. PEDIATRICS Vol. 105 No. 4 April 2000, pp. 868-870.
Updated March 05, 2015.
Teaching sign language to babies who don't have any hearing problems is becoming a popular trend.
Some parents think that teaching your baby sign language can help them communicate with their baby before he can talk. So if your baby is fussy because he is thirsty and wants to drink some milk, then he may be able to sign that he wants milk, even before he can talk.
Skeptics would say that it usually isn't too hard to figure out what your baby wants by considering your baby's schedule, nonverbal communication without signs, and the context of the situation -- whether he wants milk, more to eat, or to get out of his high chair.
Articles often point to research that shows that signing with your baby promotes brain development and increased IQ points, but all seem to have some limitation. Either they are small studies, with only a handful of infants, they show small differences, or the research was never actually published in a journal.
For example, the research that infant sign language could raise IQ points was only presented at a conference and not published in a journal. Also, the study does not seem to be randomized or blinded and was done by people who have a financial interest in the baby signs movement.
Still, there are likely no downsides to trying baby sign language and it doesn't seem to delay a baby's first spoken words. And since it can be a fun thing to do, feel free to give it a try. Keep in mind that you should likely wait until your baby is about six months old though.
Sources:
Tiny hands talking. Aiming for higher IQs and fewer tantrums, parents are teaching 'baby signing' to infants. Kelly K - US News World Rep - 21-OCT-2002; 133(15): 66.
The longterm impact of symbolic gesturing during infancy on IQ at age 8. Acredolo and Goodwyn.
Updated March 05, 2015.
In most cases, if your child is poisoned, you should just call Poison Control right away using the toll-free nationwide number:
You should not wait for your child to have symptoms, even if you aren't positive if your child actually swallowed any of the poison, or if you aren't sure if it really is poisonous. And don't call your pediatrician first to ask if you should call Poison Control.
If your child had contact with something that could be poisonous, your best bet is to just call Poison Control.
In certain cases, like if your child is having seizures, is not breathing, or is unresponsive, then you should call 911 instead.
If your child drinks mouthwash, eats holly berries, or gets drain cleaner on her hands, do you still call poison control? Yes.
Understanding what actually is a poison confuses a lot of parents, since many the definition too literally, thinking a poison is just something like 'rat poison' or an insecticide. Instead, according to the American Association of Poison Control Centers, a poison is 'any product or substance that can harm someone if it is used in the wrong way, by the wrong person, or in the wrong amount. Examples of possible poisons include some household products, chemicals at work or in the environment, drugs (prescription, over-the-counter, herbal, illegal or animal medicines), snake bites, spider bites, and scorpion stings.'
As your baby begins to get more mobile, in addition to knowing the number to Poison Control, it becomes very important to get your home childproofed and be sure that all dangerous items, including poisonous plants, household cleaners, pesticides, alcoholic beverages, medications, gasoline are stored safely and out of reach of children.
Source:
American Association of Poison Control Centers. What Is a Poison? Fact Sheet.
Updated March 05, 2015.
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.
Health Alert - Homemade Baby Cereal
Updated March 05, 2015.
Rice cereal is typically the first food that experts recommend that you feed your baby because it is the least likely to trigger an allergic reaction.
The second big reason is that commercial baby cereal is fortified with iron, and beginning around six months, especially if they are breastfeeding, babies need an extra source of iron.
A commercial dry baby cereal, such as the Gerber single grain Rice Cereal for Baby has about 5 mg of iron in every 4 Tablespoon serving of dry cereal -- but maybe less depending on how much breast milk, formula, or water you mix with the dry cereal.
In addition to the green vegetables and meats that your baby will eventually eat, an iron-fortified baby cereal is a great way to make sure she is getting enough iron in her diet without having to actually give her an extra vitamin or supplement.
Homemade Baby Cereal
On the other hand, homemade baby cereal is not going to have very much iron in it at all. In general, unfortified brown and white rice is actually rather low in iron.
Even enriched rice doesn't come close to approaching the amount of iron in an iron fortified baby cereal. For example, one brand of enriched long grain white rice has 15% daily value or daily iron requirements of iron per cup of cooked rice. That comes to about 3 mg of iron per cup (18 mg equals 100% iron requirements for an adult on a nutrition facts label) or less than 1 mg for the 3 or 4 Tablespoons that your baby will likely eat.
That isn't to say that you can't make and feed your baby your own homemade baby cereal. Just keep in mind that it is likely not a good source of iron for your baby and you may either need to give your baby a vitamin with iron or other high iron foods.
Iron-rich baby foods will usually include:
- meats
- egg yolks
- prunes
- apricots
- spinach
- beans
Carotenemia
Updated March 05, 2015.
As your baby eats more baby food, especially vegetables and fruits with a deep green or yellow color, you may notice that her skin color also takes on a more yellow to orange color too. It may be especially noticeable on her palms, soles, and over her nasolabial folds (the skin that runs from the bottom of your nose to the corner of your mouth).
This is called carotenemia and is caused by the high levels of beta-carotene in certain foods.
It should not be confused with jaundice, which would also make your baby's white eyes turn yellow.
Foods High in Beta-Carotene
In general, foods that are high in beta-carotene include yellow-orange fruits and vegetables and dark green leafy vegetables.
Examples of baby foods that are likely high in beta-carotene include:
- butternut squash
- carrots
- corn
- papayas
- spinach
- squash
- sweet potatoes
- winter squash
Other foods that are high in beta-carotene, but which generally aren't found in commercially prepared baby food include pumpkin, collard greens, beans, egg yolks, and yams. Of course, once your baby starts eating table food or if you are making homemade baby food, she may get more of these high beta-carotene foods than infants who are just eating jarred baby food.
No treatment is necessary for carotenemia, although you can perhaps offer fewer foods high in beta-carotene if you like. This does become less of a problem as your baby gets older, especially as she becomes a preschooler. Mashing and pureeing foods makes the beta-carotene in the food easier to absorb, which may explain why it is more of an issue with baby food.
Handwashing
Updated March 05, 2015.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration states that handwashing is "your first step in keeping your children safe," since you can easily spread bacteria to your baby from:
- dirty diapers
- raw foods
- your pets
- soil
- contaminated surfaces
Although washing your hands properly is an easy way to remove bacteria from your hands and help protect your baby, studies show that new parents often don't wash their hands after changing diapers, going to the bathroom, or preparing raw food.
Handwashing
Experts usually recommend that you wash your hands with warm water and soap by thoroughly scrubbing your hands for 15 to 30 seconds (the longer the better -- with 60 seconds of handwashing actually being the ideal time). Afterwards, rinse and then dry your hands with a clean towel or paper towel that you will not reuse.
Instead of soap and water, using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer can also be a good way to get your hands free of germs, especially if they are not heavily soiled and soap and water isn't available. Because of their high alcohol content, supervise young children who use them though, so that they don't accidentally ingest the hand sanitizer.
Good times to wash your hands include after you go to the bathroom, change your baby's diaper, cough or sneeze into your hands, touch your pet, and touching any contaminated surface. You should also wash your hands before preparing baby food and feeding your baby and both before and after you handle other food.
Also encourage guests and other caregivers to wash their hands before touching or carrying your baby.
Sources:
FDA/Center for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition. Food Safety for Moms to Be: Once Baby Arrives.
The effectiveness of hand hygiene procedures in reducing the risks of infections... Bloomfield S - Am J Infect Control - December 1, 2007; 35(10 Suppl 1); S27-S64.
Swimming with your Baby
Updated March 05, 2015.
The American Academy of Pediatrics issued a policy statement in April 2000, stating that "children are not developmentally ready for swimming lessons until after their fourth birthday."
This confused some parents, who thought that meant that they shouldn't enroll their infants in swimming lessons at all.
The point of the AAP is more that baby swimming programs shouldn't substitute for adult supervision around a pool.
Instead, these "infant and toddler aquatic programs provide an opportunity to introduce young children to the joy and risks of being in or around water."
In addition to drowning, when swimming with your baby, the AAP warns parents to think about pool safety and be prepared for and avoid:
- hypothermia - too cold
- water intoxication - swallowing too much water
- communicable diseases - including skin infections, pink eye, and most commonly, diarrhea, which kids can get from swallowing contaminated pool water
Starting to Swim
It will be some time before your baby is actually swimming, but that doesn't mean that she won't enjoy some time in the pool. When can you start?
Surprisingly, there aren't any formal guidelines on when you can take your baby into the pool with you. Some parents take their babies for a swim as early as two months, while others like to wait until they are at least six months old or a little older. It is probably a good idea to wait until your baby can hold her head up without support and when the weather is warm enough so that she won't get cold in the water.
And keep in mind that not all babies like being in the water, so keep your first few trips into the pool brief. Also, keep your hands on your baby at all times, don't let her head go under the water, and protect her from the sun.
Sources:
Swimming Programs for Infants and Toddlers. PEDIATRICS Vol. 105 No. 4 April 2000, pp. 868-870.
Updated March 05, 2015.
Teaching sign language to babies who don't have any hearing problems is becoming a popular trend.
Baby Sign Language
Some parents think that teaching your baby sign language can help them communicate with their baby before he can talk. So if your baby is fussy because he is thirsty and wants to drink some milk, then he may be able to sign that he wants milk, even before he can talk.
Skeptics would say that it usually isn't too hard to figure out what your baby wants by considering your baby's schedule, nonverbal communication without signs, and the context of the situation -- whether he wants milk, more to eat, or to get out of his high chair.
Benefits of Baby Sign Language
Articles often point to research that shows that signing with your baby promotes brain development and increased IQ points, but all seem to have some limitation. Either they are small studies, with only a handful of infants, they show small differences, or the research was never actually published in a journal.
For example, the research that infant sign language could raise IQ points was only presented at a conference and not published in a journal. Also, the study does not seem to be randomized or blinded and was done by people who have a financial interest in the baby signs movement.
Trying Baby Sign Language
Still, there are likely no downsides to trying baby sign language and it doesn't seem to delay a baby's first spoken words. And since it can be a fun thing to do, feel free to give it a try. Keep in mind that you should likely wait until your baby is about six months old though.
Sources:
Tiny hands talking. Aiming for higher IQs and fewer tantrums, parents are teaching 'baby signing' to infants. Kelly K - US News World Rep - 21-OCT-2002; 133(15): 66.
The longterm impact of symbolic gesturing during infancy on IQ at age 8. Acredolo and Goodwyn.
Updated March 05, 2015.
In most cases, if your child is poisoned, you should just call Poison Control right away using the toll-free nationwide number:
1-800-222-1222
You should not wait for your child to have symptoms, even if you aren't positive if your child actually swallowed any of the poison, or if you aren't sure if it really is poisonous. And don't call your pediatrician first to ask if you should call Poison Control.
If your child had contact with something that could be poisonous, your best bet is to just call Poison Control.
In certain cases, like if your child is having seizures, is not breathing, or is unresponsive, then you should call 911 instead.
What is a Poison?
If your child drinks mouthwash, eats holly berries, or gets drain cleaner on her hands, do you still call poison control? Yes.
Understanding what actually is a poison confuses a lot of parents, since many the definition too literally, thinking a poison is just something like 'rat poison' or an insecticide. Instead, according to the American Association of Poison Control Centers, a poison is 'any product or substance that can harm someone if it is used in the wrong way, by the wrong person, or in the wrong amount. Examples of possible poisons include some household products, chemicals at work or in the environment, drugs (prescription, over-the-counter, herbal, illegal or animal medicines), snake bites, spider bites, and scorpion stings.'
As your baby begins to get more mobile, in addition to knowing the number to Poison Control, it becomes very important to get your home childproofed and be sure that all dangerous items, including poisonous plants, household cleaners, pesticides, alcoholic beverages, medications, gasoline are stored safely and out of reach of children.
Source:
American Association of Poison Control Centers. What Is a Poison? Fact Sheet.
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