Becoming a new parent can be very overwhelming, especially when it feels like every more experienced parent around us wants to dole out advice. While baby myths and old wives' tales abound and many of them do hold up over time, some of those common beliefs simply aren't true, whether they're about feeding, baby development, or the all-important newborn sleep cycle.
Recently, Mom.com spoke with Dr. Steph Lee, a pediatrician and spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), about the most commonly held baby myths and whether they're true or false. With so much information out there, it can be hard to distinguish what's truth and what's a myth, but with the help of baby experts, it's a bit easier to tell the difference.
Baby "expert" advice: Separating fact from fiction about newborns
Most common myths about the ways babies grow
Past the newborn stage, it's easy to get excited about helping our babies learn and grow. But keeping in mind that not all the myths we've heard about this part of their development are true is important — especially since some of them can actually be harmful.
5. Using a walker is harmful for babies
This myth happens to be true. Not only does using a walker offer no additional benefit, but it can actually become dangerous for your baby, according to Lee.
"Infant walkers can be potentially dangerous, because it allows your infant to be more mobile than they can developmentally handle," she said. "Infant walkers allow babies to move faster than parents anticipate and reach higher than parents realize, leading to injuries by falling down stairs or out of the walker."
6. Classical music can make a baby smarter
Despite the fact that we've heard for years that we should play our babies Mozart starting in the womb, this one's actually false. However, playing any kind of music — as well as talking and singing to your baby — is great to help them learn language skills.
7. Starting solids early can help avoid food allergies
This myth is true, and while it's important to keep in communication with your pediatrician, introducing them to allergens around six months of age can help them avoid those allergies developing entirely.
"It is now recommended that infants be introduced to allergen foods, such as peanuts, eggs, and shellfish as early as possible after starting other solid foods around 6 months of age," Lee said.
As always, before taking any parenting advice that could affect your child's health, it's important to do the research — and consult your pediatrician.
