Rooted in Oral Traditions
Old wives' tales are perhaps as old as language itself.
They're part of our oral tradition, originating long before pen
and ink, books and movies, and certainly before the Internet. Why
do we cling to such tales about common ailments and our health when
we live in a world rich with medical expertise and proven
treatments and cures?
Some probably have survived through the ages because they offer
comforting advice about experiences we all share, have little
control over, and usually worry about, such as childbirth and
sickness.
Many old wives' tales, especially those surrounding
pregnancy
and childbirth, have been proven false or irrelevant by advances in
medicine and technology. One example is the use of prenatal
ultrasound to detect the sex of a fetus instead of dangling a ring
suspended on a string over the expectant woman's belly.
According to the tale, if the ring swings from side to side,
it's a girl, and if it swings in a circle, it's a boy. An
ultrasound reading may not be as much fun, but the test results are
certainly more accurate.
Some old wives' tales about health and sickness have some
basis in fact, whereas other, newer ones seem to reflect a kind of
technophobia, such as those related to
watching television
. Though some old wives' tales are true, most are harmless -
and at least one described here is dangerous.
Tales About Pregnancy
If the fetal heart rate is under 140 beats per minute (BPM),
it's a boy.
False. A baby girl's heart rate is usually faster than a
boy's, but only after the onset of labor. There's no
difference between fetal heart rates for boys and girls, but the
rate does vary with the age of the fetus. By approximately the
fifth week of pregnancy, the fetal heart rate is near the
mother's - around 80 to 85 BPM. It continues to accelerate
until early in the ninth week, when it reaches 170 to 200 BPM and
then decelerates to an average of 120 to 160 BPM by the middle of
the pregnancy. Normal fetal heart rate during labor ranges from 120
to 160 BPM for boys and girls.
Extra weight out front means a girl; weight around the hips and
bottom indicates a boy.
False. If a woman has a short torso, there's no place for
the baby to grow but out. A long torso may mean roomier
accommodations for a baby, making it less likely for a woman's
belly to bulge outward. And a wide belly may just mean that the
baby is sideways.
If a woman's carrying low, it's a boy; if she's
carrying high, it's a girl.
False. If a woman's carrying high, this may be her first
pregnancy or her body's in good shape. Stomach muscles have a
tendency to become more elastic with each pregnancy, so a belly
that's seen more than one pregnancy may hang a little low.
Dark nipples indicate a boy.
False. This color change has nothing to do with the sex of the
child - an increase in the hormones secreted by the placenta and
ovaries and the melanocyte-stimulating hormone (which regulates
skin pigmentation) causes dark areas of the body to become more
pronounced in most pregnant women. Nipples, birthmarks, moles, or
beauty marks may appear darker during pregnancy. A dark line also
may appear down the middle of the belly. Called the
linea nigra
(black line), it runs from above the navel to the pubic area.
Darkened areas usually fade soon after childbirth.
Don't breastfeed a toddler during pregnancy because the new
baby needs all the nourishment it can get.
False. If a woman is healthy,
breastfeeding
during pregnancy won't harm her, the fetus, or her toddler. (A
doctor may recommend that a pregnant woman not breastfeed, though,
if she has a nutritional deficiency, is underweight, or is at risk
for pre-term labor.)
Tales About Caring for Babies and Toddlers
Wearing shoes will help a baby learn to walk sooner.
False. Just the opposite is true in this case. Keeping a baby
barefoot can help strengthen his or her foot muscles and help the
child learn to walk earlier. A toddler who is walking, though,
needs comfortable shoes that fit well - they shouldn't be
rigid. Shoes should conform to the shape of a child's feet and
provide a little extra room for growth.
An infant walker will help a baby learn to walk sooner.
False. Babies who spend their active hours in walkers may learn
to sit, crawl, and walk later than children who have to learn these
skills on their own if they want to get around. Sitting in an
infant walker, with its wide tray and small leg openings, blocks
the visual feedback so important to a baby learning muscle
coordination. More important, baby walkers are
dangerous.
Nearly 14,000 injuries are treated in emergency rooms every year as
a result of walkers. And 34 children have died since 1973 because
of baby walkers. Stairway falls in walkers can be especially
severe. In a policy statement, the American Academy of Pediatrics
(AAP) recommended a ban on the manufacture and sale of mobile
infant walkers in the United States.
Cats can steal the air from a baby's mouth.
False. This tale goes back hundreds of years to a time when cats
were associated with witchcraft and evil spirits. Cat-lovers, rest
easy - it's anatomically impossible for a cat or other animal
to suffocate a baby by sealing the baby's mouth with its own.
Even so, cats and other
pets
should be supervised around small children and introduced to a baby
gradually. You should also keep cats (just as you should keep other
pets and items such as blankets and plush toys) out of your
baby's crib or bassinet.
Tales About Foods and Drinks
Feed a cold, starve a fever.
False. Both high
fevers
and
colds
can cause fluid loss. Drinking plenty of liquids such as water,
fruit juice, and vegetable juice can help prevent
dehydration
. And with both fevers and colds, it's fine to eat regular
meals - missing nutrients may only make a person sicker.
Wait an hour after eating before swimming.
False. According to the American Red Cross, it's usually not
necessary for you or your child to wait an hour before going in the
water
. However, it
is
recommended that you wait until digestion has begun, especially if
you've had a big fatty meal and you plan to swim strenuously.
The Red Cross also advises against chewing gum or eating while in
the water, both of which could cause
choking
.
Coffee stunts your growth.
False. Coffee won't affect
growth
, but too much
caffeine
doesn't belong in a child's diet. Excess caffeine can
prevent the absorption of calcium and other nutrients.
Fish is brain food.
True. Fish is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids that have
been found to be very important for brain function. Certain fish,
however, have significant levels of mercury. Therefore, the Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) suggests that pregnant women and
women of child-bearing age decrease their exposure to mercury by
either not eating swordfish, shark, and tuna, or limiting their
consumption of these fish to once per month.
Chocolate causes acne.
False. Although eating too many sugary, high-fat foods is not a
good idea for anyone, studies show that no specific food has been
proven to cause
acne
.
Spicy foods can cause ulcers.
False. Spicy foods may aggravate ulcer symptoms in some people,
but they don't bring about ulcers. A bacterial infection or
overuse of pain medications such as aspirin or anti-inflammatory
drugs is the usual cause.
Eating carrots will improve your eyesight.
False. This tale may have started during World War II, when
British intelligence spread a rumor that their pilots had
remarkable night vision because they ate lots of carrots. They
didn't want the Germans to know they were using radar. Carrots
- and many other vegetables high in vitamin A - do help maintain
healthy eyesight
, but eating more than the recommended daily allowance won't
improve vision.
Tales About Health and Medical Conditions
If you go outside with wet hair, you'll catch a cold.
False. Cold weather, wet hair, and chills don't cause colds;
viruses do. People tend to catch colds more often in the winter
because these viruses are spread more easily indoors, where there
may be more contact with dry air and people with colds. Dry air -
indoors or out - can lower resistance to infection.
Reading in dim light will damage your eyes.
False. Although reading in a dimly lit room won't do any
harm, good lighting can help prevent eye fatigue and make reading
easier.
Too much TV is bad for your eyes.
False. Watching
television
won't hurt your eyes (no matter how close to the TV you sit),
although too much TV can be a bad idea for kids. Research shows
that children who consistently spend more than 10 hours a week
watching TV are more likely to be
overweight
, aggressive, and slower to learn in school.
If you cross your eyes, they'll stay that way.
False. Only about 4% of the children in the United States have
strabismus
, a disorder in which the eyes are misaligned, giving the
appearance that they're looking in different directions. Eye
crossing does not lead to strabismus.
Thumb sucking causes buck teeth.
True ... and false.
Thumb sucking
often begins before birth and generally continues until age 5. If a
child stops around the ages of 4 to 5, no harm will be done to the
jaws and teeth. However, parents should discourage thumb sucking
after the age of 4, when the gums, jaw, and permanent teeth begin
their most significant growth. Therefore, after this age it's
possible for thumb, finger, or pacifier sucking to contribute to
buck teeth.
Cracking knuckles causes arthritis.
False. However, habitual knuckle cracking tends to cause hand
swelling and decreased grip strength, and can result in functional
hand impairment.
Too much loud noise can cause hearing loss.
True. Just 15 minutes of listening to loud, pounding music;
machinery; or other noises can cause temporary loss of
hearing
and
tinnitus
, a ringing in the ears. Loud noise causes the eardrum to vibrate
excessively and can damage the tiny hairs in the cochlea, a
cone-shaped tube in the inner ear that converts sound into
electrical signals for the brain to process. Although temporary
hearing loss usually disappears within a day or two, continuous
exposure to extreme noise can result in permanent hearing loss. For
example, if a child is wearing headphones - and those around him or
her can hear the music - the volume is too high.
Reviewed by:
Steven Dowshen, MD
Date reviewed: March 2008
Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice,
diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor.
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