Baby Myths

Not everything you hear about babies are true. People may offer advice and tell you what's the right or wrong way to raise kids. Some of those facts, however, may just be old wives tales that aren't completely true. Sometimes parents hear a piece of information that conflicts with other facts that they may have heard somewhere else. This makes it confusing or difficult for parents to decide how they will raise their child if they are not getting the right facts. However, there are some myths about babies that parents should be aware of. 


Myth #1: Immediately responding to a child's cry will spoil them.
Responding to your child's cry will not spoil them. It actually builds trust and security for your child. Picking up your child when he or she cries lets the child know that you are responding to his or her needs. At just a few months old, children do not understand the process of manipulation. When infants cry it is because they have basic needs that need to be met. Being responsive to your child will help them learn that they can trust and count on you to always be there.

Myth #2: Newborns can't see.
Newborns are very nearsighted and have blurry vision. They can only see objects that are about 12 inches away, which is enough to see the face of the person that is holding them. Although newborns can see at birth, their visual system is not fully developed. This explains why newborns have a hard to focusing on one thing. However, the development of their vision improves with age. 

Myth #3: Walkers help infants learn how to walk.
Baby walkers are actually dangerous for children because they can cause accidents and injuries. The American Academy of Pediatrics has called a ban on baby walkers to increase the safety of children. Baby walkers can delay babies from learning how to walk, because walkers work different muscles then when a baby learns how to walk on his/her own. Baby walkers also allow babies to reach for dangerous objects that should be out of their reach.

Myth #4: Vaccines cause autism.
There has been no real evidence in research that shows autism is caused by vaccinations. Vaccinating a child helps protect them from diseases and prevents the spread of epidemic diseases, such as the chickenpox or whooping cough. Although it is the parents choice to vaccinate their child it is safe to say that vaccines do not cause autism.

Myth #5: Infants should sleep on their stomach.
A baby should sleep on its back. There used to be concerns about babies choking on their spit while sleeping on their back, but this is actually the safest sleeping position for an infant. Sleeping on the stomach has actually been found to be related to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), which is when an infant unexpectedly dies. There are no current studies that explain the causes of SIDS, but infants who sleep on their back reduce the risk of SIDS.