Honey, I Lost the Baby in the Produce Aisle!: The Safety Moms Gui...

Inside the Book: "Myth Buster!"

The Safety Mom sets the record straight in her Myth Buster! feature.

• Tummy vs. Back Sleeping

  Myth: It's dangerous to have babies sleep on their backs because they could die if they spit up or vomit while they're asleep.

  For healthy, full-term babies there is no greater risk for choking while lying on their backs than there is when lying on their stomachs. The United States Department of Health and Human Services states: "Healthy babies automatically swallow or cough up fluids. There has been no increase in choking or other problems for babies who sleep on their backs." The American Academy of Pediatrics also states that there is no evidence that choking is more frequent among infants lying on their backs.

  
  

• You Don't Get a Cold from the Cold

  Myth: Going outside without a hat, coat, gloves, or with wet hair and getting chilled or overheated causes a baby or child to get sick.

  Cold germs are caused by viruses. The reason more colds happen in the winter months is because people are generally inside more and in closer proximity to one another. Cold viruses survive longer when the humidity is low, which is the case in the colder months.

  What will make your baby sick is contact with someone who is carrying germs. So, most importantly, keep strangers from touching your baby. Be sure that your older children and all other family members frequently wash their hands.

  
  

• Benefits of Day Care

  Myth: Children who attend day care will have problems bonding with their parents.

  In a study conducted by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) entitled "The Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development," researchers found that children in day care settings demonstrated a greater ability to form relationships with peers and adults than children who did not attend day care. And, in fact, children in day care exhibited more positive interaction with their mothers than did children in other settings.

  
  

• Removing a Bee Sting

  Myth: If you are stung, never pull the stinger out with your fingers because this can send more venom into your body.

  It is more important to get the stinger out of your child as soon as possible to reduce the risk of secondary infection. If additional venom is pumped in inadvertently, it will not increase the reaction.