How many times have we heard that 'well before we dipped the pacifier in honey to calm the baby and none of them have died' or 'put the shoes on the child who is going to get pneumonia'. Without forgetting the classics 'don't take a bath because you just ate and your digestion will stop', 'I don't put sunscreen on because it's cloudy' or the famous 'I'm not going to vaccinate you again for the flu. I put it on him last year and he got the worst one of his life'… All these statements, which are often passed from generation to generation without being questioned, are nothing more than some of the myths that surround and, at times, torpedo raising children, an already complicated stage for parents.
Dr. Lucía Galán, known on social networks as 'Lucía, my pediatrician', has just published a book in which she dismantles all these false beliefs about the physical and mental health of the little ones. «That 'well, it's been like this all my life and nothing has ever happened' is an argument that doesn't hold up. Yes it has happened, of course it has happened. What happens is that it hasn't happened to you,” clarifies the specialist and author of 'Viruses don't enter through the feet' (Ed. Planeta) and gives a first-person example. «I have traveled throughout my childhood and adolescence in the back seat of the car with my brother and my cousins. None of us were wearing seat belts. Indeed, it was what it was and nothing ever happened to us, but that doesn't make it the best. Since it was mandatory, the number of child deaths in traffic accidents has been reduced by 90%. These are some of the most widespread myths.
Teeth, pain and fever
«Never has anything so small generated so many hoaxes. Tooth eruption could cause mild irritability, some drooling, and a slight inflammation of the gums in the child. Spot. The eruption of teeth does not cause fever, diarrhea, sleep disorders, weight loss, or a red bottom,” the pediatrician insists. It is also of no use to rub the baby's gums with paracetamol syrup, much less put an amber necklace on him to mitigate the pain. The latter, in addition to being ineffective, is very dangerous.
Geranium sprig for constipation
Just because our grandmothers did it does not make it absolute truth. When a baby is constipated, “their bottom is not stimulated with a sprig of geranium or anything else that the pediatrician has not recommended,” warns Dr. Galán, who has seen “everything” in her office. And talcum powder is not the best for an irritated butt either. They dry the skin, but can also infect it if they get into an open wound.
Chamomile to wash the eyes
Neither. «The eyes of babies and children are cleaned with water and a gauze or with physiological saline. Nothing more », he adds.
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Better to sleep on your side, so you don't choke if you vomit.
Babies should always sleep on their backs. Neither sideways nor upside down. What if he vomits? «Well, if he vomits or regurgitates spontaneously, he will turn his head to one side and his airway will be safe. The official recommendations are very clear and forceful: if we put our baby on his side and he vomits violently, he may involuntarily turn over, put his face on the mattress and compromise his breathing since during the first months he is unable to get back on his feet. face up by themselves,” argues the specialist.
Don't pick him up in your arms, he's bad at it
'You're soft, you're spoiling him, these children lack limits, let him, nothing will happen to him, if you pick him up every time he's restless you'll spoil him.' These types of comments are very common… and false. «If the baby cries we have to pick him up, kiss him, calm him, hug him and offer him a quiet and safe place in our arms. And his lungs don't expand because he cries more,” says Lucía Galán.
In nursery school they are immunized
Well no, the fact that children are exposed to more viruses and bacteria does not immunize them or make them stronger. «Very regretfully, most of the infections that our children contract in kindergarten do not generate permanent immunity. The reality is that children under three years of age who attend school get sick three times as often as those who do not attend school.
He always goes barefoot, he's going to catch a cold
And here is the mother of all myths. This belief is so widespread that pediatrician Lucía Galán has titled her new book this way. «Viruses do not enter through the feet. 'Yes, they won't enter through the feet, but they get cold and then get constipated.' «No, respiratory infections are contracted through direct mouth-to-mouth contact with a sick person, not through ground-foot or foot-foot contact. Walking barefoot does not cause runny nose, fever, or sore throat. To avoid contagion, the most important thing is to wash your hands frequently. Nor are they going to get pneumonia from going out into the yard without a jacket or from going to bed with wet hair. The cold by itself does not make us cold. What happens is that low temperatures produce certain changes in our body that make it easier for circulating viruses and bacteria to cause disease once inside our body. But the cause is not the cold,” clarifies the pediatrician.
Breakfast is not the most important meal nor does your brain need sugar
“Breakfast is neither better nor worse than other food,” summarizes Dr. Galán. «In the end what counts is what we eat throughout the day. There will be children who just have a glass of milk for breakfast and then have their sandwich and fruit mid-morning (great) and there will be those who eat all that for breakfast, great too. And what your brain needs is not sugar, it is carbohydrates, which we find in fruits, whole grains… Children do not need to take free sugars to be smarter, or to think better or so that they do not have hypoglycemia. .
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A splash of wine to the stew, the alcohol evaporates
Lucía Galán is blunt. «First, the alcohol does not evaporate completely and, second, something can happen. In fact, it happens. There is no safe amount of alcohol in childhood or during pregnancy.
Isotonic drinks and white rice for diarrhea
“No no and no”. Aquarius-type soft drinks are absolutely not recommended in acute diarrhea because they can worsen the symptoms and increase the risk of dehydration. They also don't have to eat only white rice. «Recommendations on gastroenteritis have changed a lot in recent years. The sooner they eat their usual diet, the sooner their intestinal mucosa will recover, avoiding, of course, ultra-processed foods and sugars.
He has spots on his nails, he lacks calcium
What's wrong with his nails is that he's hit them, nothing more. “The presence of white spots (leukonychia) has nothing to do with calcium levels in the blood or with the greater or lesser amount of milk that children drink.”
Wow, vaccines are scary!
What would be really scary is not having access to them. «In addition to saving lives, vaccines are a magnificent tool to eradicate diseases. And no, they do not cause autism, nor do they fry children's brains.
His nose is bleeding, throw his head back!
On the contrary. When the nose bleeds, we should place our head slightly forward and press with the thumb and index finger like a clamp for a few minutes.
Anxiety, depression… Children also have mental health problems
Mental health problems also affect minors. Anxiety disorder, for example, affects between 10 and 20% of children and adolescents and many of them mistakenly end up in cardiology consultations because their symptoms are often confused with those of other pathologies. «There is still a lot of silence and social stigma regarding mental health and in these cases you should consult with a specialized professional. When a child in school has depression, difficulties with concentration, little interest, or being irascible may appear, when this did not happen before. Multiple recurrent pains (headaches, abdominal pains…) are also common and this often causes parents to consult the pediatrician instead of thinking about a mental health professional,” says Dr. Galán.
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