The truth about old wives tales

Fed up with ageing relatives banging on about how things were done in their day? Here’s the truth about those old wives’ tales

Your mum… your mother-in-law… your gran… When it comes to your baby’s health, they all have something to say! But are they really older and wiser, or could their outdated pearls of wisdom actually be putting your baby at risk? M&B sorts the fact from the fiction.

‘Don’t take that baby out in the cold – he’ll get the sniffles’

Does getting cold make you catch a cold? Well, until recently, scientists would have scoffed and said (quite rightly) that it’s a virus, not cold weather, that causes coughs and sneezes. But last year, scientists at the Common Cold Centre, part of the Cardiff School of Biosciences, discovered that actually, our mums were right all along.

‘When the cold weather comes, we wrap up warm, but our nose is directly exposed to the cold air,’ says Professor Ron Eccles, director of the Common Cold Centre. ‘Having a cold nose slows down the clearance of viruses from the nose, and also slows the white cells that fight infection. Mothers should be wrapping their children up well in winter.’

‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away’

Forget broccoli, blueberries and pomegranates – now the humble apple has joined the superfood ranks. So, in this case, your mum or gran was right again. Apples are packed full of vitamins and soluble fibre, as well as protective phytochemicals (plant chemicals) that fight disease.

As dietician Sarah Schenker of the British Nutrition Foundation says, ‘Apples, like all fruit and veg, can help keep you healthy and reduce the risk of diseases. Puréeing apples is a great way to start your baby on a healthy diet, and will help him on his way to his 5-a-day.’

‘Get that baby off his feet, he’ll get bow legs’

Your baby loves practising standing and jigging about in his door bouncer, but your mum says he’ll end up like a cowboy who’s just got off his horse. Don’t worry. Although previous generations thought early walkers would end up bandy-legged, it’s not true.

‘Bow legs are generally seen in nutritionally deficient children or those with genetic dispositions to the condition,’ confirms health visitor Shirley Sowray of healthvisitors.com. ‘After six months, when neck and back muscles are beginning to strengthen, it is safe to allow babies to be on their feet. But only do it in short bursts and keep them well supported until they can support themselves.’

‘Get that baby’s thumb out of his mouth – he’ll get buck teeth’

Thumb-sucking is a source of comfort, and many antenatal scans show babies contentedly sucking away while wallowing in the womb. But while thumb-sucking isn’t a problem for babies, it is for older toddlers.

‘Children who suck their thumb continuously and over long periods, usually 12 months or more after their teeth have begun to come through, can develop protruding teeth,’ says Dr Nigel Carter of the British Dental Health Foundation.

‘The risk occurs when their teeth start to come through, as the action of sucking can cause the teeth to be pushed forwards. This will then cause the lips to protrude and give the child an overbite. Protruding teeth can make eating difficult, affect a child’s speech and reshape their palate.’

Orthodontic dummies are better for the teeth than thumb-sucking, because they are designed not to affect the teeth – and, of course, a dummy can be taken away when the time comes to wean your baby off the habit.

‘Feed a cold, starve a fever’

Or was it starve a cold, feed a fever? Well, whichever way round your gran told you, it was wrong.

‘There’s no reason to suppose either feeding or starving will affect the outcome of a fever or a cold,’ says Dr Graham Archard of the Royal College of General Practitioners. ‘Eating does raise body temperature, but only by a minimal amount, so you shouldn’t deny a baby with a fever food.’ Simply follow your baby’s appetite.

Most important, Dr Archard adds, is to give lots of fluid.

‘Don’t take him swimming with that ear infection’

You’ve paid for the baby swim lessons and bought the cutest pair of swimming trunks. Then your mum says your grizzly, sore-eared baby should stay at home. Is she just trying to spoil your fun?

‘This old wives’ tale is true, particularly with otitis externa (infection of the ear canal),’ says Shirley Sowray. ‘Swimming pools can harbour bacteria to which the ear is susceptible, and the chloride in the water can dry out the ear canal, causing irritation (especially if there is already an infection) and making the ear more vulnerable to further infection.’

You should wait until the ear infection has completely cleared to take your baby swimming. Baths are less risky, as the don’t harbour as much bacteria as pools, but if you child has an infection in the middle or inner ear, stop any water getting into his ear by using cotton wool.

‘He’ll be much safer sleeping on his tummy’

When you were a baby, chances are your mum put you down to sleep on your front, for fear that if you brought up a little milk, you might choke. But these days, mums are advised to put babies to sleep on their backs, because it massively reduces the risk of cot death – since the advice changed, cot deaths have fallen by 75 per cent.

‘The recommended practice is for babies to sleep on their backs,’ says midwife Guay Ong from the Royal College of Midwives. ‘Their feet should be at the bottom of the cot to stop them wriggling down under the covers and getting too warm. Don’t worry about her being sick and choking, babies tend to turn their heads when asleep.’

‘He’s got a little burn? Slap some butter on it’

Far from greasing up your baby, any burn, no matter how small, should immediately be immersed under cold running water for at least 30 seconds to one minute. ‘Never use butter on burns, particularly if the skin is broken,’ says Dr Graham Archard.

‘A burn needs a proper dressing, which you can get from the pharmacist, but with a baby or toddler you should always get medical attention for burns.’ So call your doctor, or for a bad burn, go straight to A&E.

She did what?!

Some old wives tales are more weird and wonderful than others… (and best not to try at home!)

• ‘My aunt swore by a horrible combination of yogurt and fresh, chopped garlic. My poor cousins were given this concoction at the slightest hint of any illness whatsoever, from colds to bellyache.’ Jenny Walsh, 27
• ‘When I burnt my hand as a child my mum made me cover it in honey – not what you’re meant to do at all. I’ll never forget the feel of that gloopy, sticky, honey-covered hand.’ Charlotte Howells, 22
• ‘To treat a festering wound or draw a boil, my gran used to swear by a warm bread poultice, made by saturating fresh bread in warm milk and then mashing it to a gooey pulp.’ Cheryl Maddox, 30
• ‘My mother’s remedy for toothache was to rub my gums with hot brandy mixed with sugar. I can still remember the disgusting taste!’ Anna Longmore, 33