Remember those sage words of advice your ‘Aji’ gave you as a child? They might not have their roots well-entrenched in Medical Science, after all!
How many times have we heard people tell us, ‘Don’t have a shower right after eating food’, or the more-common bit of advice, ‘Wait for a good one hour after eating anything, before jumping in the pool?’ While a lot of advice out there is made in our best possible interests, the truth is, not all of it is true!
This article is an attempt to showcase common Children’s Health Myths and Facts. Here you will find everything ranging from Children’s Oral Health Facts, to uncovering and exposing Health Myths most of us have grown up believing over the years. Ready to get started, where it comes to sifting the ‘right’ from the ‘wrong’ advice for our kids?
Children’s Health Myths and Facts Explained
Be it advice from Friends, Family or even the Internet, not all health advice for children should be taken seriously. In this section, we will attempt to debunk common health Myths. And of course, shed light on the Facts we cannot ignore!
- If your child has a fever, they need antibiotics
- Children should not have more than an hour or two of Screen Time a day
- If you swallow chewing gum, it will stay in your stomach for 7 years
- Baby teeth need to be brushed just as much as adult teeth!
- The change in weather makes your child sick
- Children can have Mental Disorders
- Too much consumption of Sugar leads to a Sugar High
- Green mucus does not automatically imply a Bacterial Infection
- Chicken pox is sent by ‘God’
- Sitting too close to the TV will not make you go blind
This one’s a: Myth
No antibiotic in the world, is going to bring down your child’s fever. If there is anything that will, it is that ‘Crocin’ or ‘Dolo’ tablet.
To do: If your child has a fever that doesn’t seem to be going away, you want your doctor to diagnose them, before seeing what medication might be required.
Note: In many cases, the fever will pass and your child will get better with simple ‘home remedies’, like salt water gargles.
This one’s a: Fact
One of the facts about children’s mental health is, limiting their screen time is best where it comes to regulating their moods. In fact, children who spend around 3 to 4 hours in front of their screens, have been shown to have behavioral problems.
To do: You want to limit their screentime to an hour a day, for best effect.
Note: If your kids are 2 or younger, it is advisable that they don’t get any screen time at all.
This one’s a: Myth
How many times have we heard this seemingly unbelievable piece of information, and believed it all the same? In truth, while that chewing gum you swallow might not be digested at once, it passes out of your child’s system in a few days.
Note: On the lighter side, perhaps this is one myth you’d like to let ‘stick’, so your child does not get into the habit of consuming that excessively ‘sweet’ gum!
This one’s a: Fact
All teeth, irrespective of the fact that they belong to adults or little kids, are prone to cavities. It’s therefore a must, for children to be brushing their teeth even if they are still termed as ‘baby teeth.’ This one’s one of those children’s oral health facts, you cannot possibly ignore.
This one’s a: Myth
The fact is, kids are just as prone to falling sick in the summer season, as they are when winter arrives.
Note: The one reason your child might be susceptible to catching a cold every time winter arrives, is because of their lack of Immunity. Instead of safeguarding them too much by keeping them indoors all the time, you want to work on boosting their immunity. You can do this, by getting them to eat more immunity-boosting foods!
This one’s a: Fact
While we might be providing the most stable environment for our kids, there’s no denying the fact that they can be as susceptible to mental disorders, like generalized Anxiety Disorder and Depression, as are adults.
Note: Genetics has a large role to play here, so you can rest assured that it’s perhaps not something you’re doing wrong as a parent.
This one’s a: Myth
There is by far no concrete evidence to show that having too much sugar leads to your little one becoming hyperactive. In all probability, an energized environment is probably the ‘real’ cause behind that Sugar High. On that note, you don’t want to let them consume sugar in excess, because of other serious health issues they might develop as a result. Like Obesity, or perhaps even Diabetes.
This one’s a: Fact
How many times have you felt the need to administer antibiotics to your child, simply because their snot is green or yellow? Did you know, that most of the sinus infections in children are actually caused by ‘viruses’, and not bacteria?
Interesting fact: It is the presence of ‘iron’ in the mucus that comes out as a nasal discharge, that might actually be responsible for its greenish color!
This one’s a: Myth
No matter how religious we might be, we mustn’t fall into the trap of thinking that our child has been blessed by Goddess Durga, when we see clear signs of their being afflicted with Chicken Pox. Instead, it should be viewed as an illness like any other, and treated with the appropriate medication.
This one’s a: Fact
Yes, your children can sit as close to the TV as they like, without the possibility of their going blind in the near future!
Note: Sitting too close to the TV might cause eye muscle fatigue, so it’s best for kids to not watch TV from too close a distance, for a protracted period of time.
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