False myths about baby care 2026

Author: Martina Rao

Myths about baby health are a mix of traditions and sensational gossip. If you ever have doubts about whether some strange advice you have been given is true or not, don't be embarrassed and ask your doctor.

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These are ten false myths that must be banished as soon as possible.

1. If they sneeze, they have a cold

It depends. Sneezing and coughing are mechanisms that the body has to clean the airways. Babies cannot blow their nose or clear their throat to clear their throat. Therefore, they release secretions that accumulate in their airways through coughs and sneezes. Children also sneeze when they have a cold, but in this case, they also show other symptoms, such as fever and malaise.

2. Babies know how to swim instinctively

False. This myth is dangerous and is born from a half-truth. It is true that babies stop breathing when they are submerged in water. But this does not mean that they cannot drown. If they are not removed quickly from the water, they drown because their lungs become blocked.

3. Crying widens the lungs

False. It has not been proven that there is any relationship between crying and lung maturation. A baby who cries does so because something happens to him and the psychological causes are not as visible as the physical ones, but they are still important. If we let him cry, the baby will not understand why no one helps him. The little one should always know that the people around him love him and protect him.

4. Sugar relieves hiccups

False. Many babies have hiccups due to the immaturity of their neurological system. It is an involuntary and intermittent movement of the diaphragm that has no importance. It is not advisable to try any of the measures recommended for adults. It is better to leave him alone and the hiccups will disappear on their own.

5. They should not leave until they are 15 days old

False. This myth may be due to the desire to protect the newborn from catching any disease. Naturally, you should not be exposed to contact with a person affected by an infectious disease, but this has nothing to do with the outdoors. To know whether or not you can go out with the baby, you just need to use common sense. In summer, avoid the hottest hours and in winter, don't go out when it's very windy.

6. The sooner they get their teeth, the smarter they will be.

False. Baby teeth come in when they should, with a wide margin that differs from child to child. The intelligence that the baby will achieve when he or she is older depends on the genes he or she has inherited from his or her relatives and the stimuli offered by the people around him or her. It has nothing to do with when your teeth come in.

7. By adding cereal to the last bottle, they will sleep better

It depends. It can also have the opposite effect and cause the little one to wake up even more often. A mother or father who has not slept for many nights grabs the first piece of advice that promises a little rest. Therefore, this is one of the most difficult myths to eradicate.

8. At birth they do not yet see

False. Of course they come! Newborns see best at a distance between 15 and 30 centimeters. Therefore, when adults talk to a baby who is only a few weeks old, they instinctively approach him. As the child grows, his vision expands and after half a year he can perfectly see objects that are at a distance of between three and four meters. When he is one year old, his vision is very similar to that of an adult. The baby also distinguishes colors and, in the first months, prefers strong contrasts and strong tones.

9. Their nails should not be cut in the first months

False. Fingernails can be quite long and many children scratch their faces with them. To cut them, use blunt scissors and take advantage of a time when the child is calm or sleeping.

10. Shaving their hair often makes it stronger

False. If after the cut the baby's hair seems strong, it is because at that moment the fine ends are missing, which gave it a more fragile appearance. Newborns lose almost all of the hair they are born with, changing it for a type of fuzz. So it makes no sense to cut their hair before six months.