Old Wives' Tales: True or False? Baby Edition

Name: Old Wives' Tales: True or False? Baby Edition
Author: Cynthia Obinatu

Ten things families say about newborns and babies, from a coin on the navel to teething fever. Tap True, False or It depends, then see the answer, the source and what to do instead.

This game needs JavaScript. Here are all the answers and their sources.

The safest way for a baby to sleep is on their back. Answer: True. The American Academy of Pediatrics says to place a baby on their back for every nap and at night, because back sleeping lowers the risk of sudden infant death. Babies do not choke more on their back. Use a firm, flat sleep space with nothing soft in it. Source: AAP HealthyChildren: A parent's guide to safe sleep; NHS: Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
Taping a coin over a baby's belly button flattens a bulging navel. Answer: False. A bulge at the belly button is usually an umbilical hernia, and most close on their own as the child grows. Tape or a coin does not make it go away and may cause an infection. Mention it at the clinic, and see a doctor if the lump is painful or hard. Source: KidsHealth: Umbilical hernias; NHS: Umbilical hernia.
Shaving a baby's head makes the hair grow back thicker. Answer: False. Shaving cuts the hair above the skin and does not touch the root, so it cannot change how thick the hair grows or how fast. New hair can look thicker at first because you see the thicker base of each strand. Many families shave the head for a naming ceremony or a religious rite, and the shave will not change the hair. Source: Cleveland Clinic: Will shaving make your hair grow back thicker?.
Teething gives a baby a high fever. Answer: False. Teething can bring a slightly raised temperature, but the NHS puts it below 38C. The American Academy of Pediatrics says a fever above 38.3C probably has another cause. Take the temperature and get your baby checked, and do not put a high fever down to the teeth. Source: NHS: Baby teething symptoms; AAP HealthyChildren: Teething, 4 to 7 months.
Gripe water is proven to settle colic. Answer: False. The NHS says remedies for colic, such as anti-colic drops and herbal supplements, are not recommended and there is no evidence they help. Colic usually stops by 3 to 4 months. Holding your baby upright for feeds, winding after feeds and rocking can help. Source: NHS: Colic.
A baby needs water in hot weather. Answer: It depends. It depends on age. WHO and UNICEF advise only breast milk for the first 6 months, with no other food or drink, not even water, unless a health worker says so. In the heat, breastfeed as often as your baby wants. From about 6 months, small sips of water can start alongside food. Source: WHO: Infant and young child feeding; Cleveland Clinic: Why your baby should not have water.
Putting palm oil or any oil in a baby's ear keeps it clean. Answer: False. Ears clean themselves, and earwax usually comes out on its own. Putting anything in a child's ear raises the risk of infection or damage to the ear canal and eardrum. Wipe only the outside of the ear with a damp cloth, and see a clinic if the ear hurts or leaks. Source: KidsHealth: Dealing with earwax.
A little menthol rub on a newborn's chest or nose clears a blocked nose. Answer: False. The American Academy of Pediatrics says never to use mentholated rub on babies or children under 2 years old. Camphor can be toxic when it is absorbed through an infant's skin, and the vapours can irritate the airways. For a blocked nose, the academy suggests salt-water (saline) drops and a nasal bulb to suck out the mucus. Source: AAP HealthyChildren: Cough and cold survival kit; AAP HealthyChildren: How to care for your child's cold or flu.
Pulling and stretching a baby's arms and legs helps them grow tall and straight. Answer: False. This belief comes from wanting a child to grow well. About 80 percent of a person's height is set by their DNA. Pulling a young child by the hand or wrist can slip the elbow out of place, a painful injury called nursemaid's elbow. Lift a baby with your hands under the body. Source: MedlinePlus Genetics: Is height determined by genetics?; AAP HealthyChildren: Nursemaid's elbow.
Putting a baby with yellow skin or eyes in the morning sun cures jaundice. Answer: False. Direct sunlight is not recommended for newborn jaundice, because it is hard to control and can burn and overheat a baby. Jaundice that shows after the first day needs a check at a clinic, where light treatment can be given. Researchers in Nigeria are testing filtered sunlight under supervision. Putting a baby directly in the sun is different. Source: Filtered-sunlight phototherapy for neonatal jaundice in low-resource settings (review, PMC); NHS: Jaundice in newborns.

Your answers, with the sources

Educational, not medical advice. These are common beliefs checked against the sources listed below. They are not yet reviewed by a clinician, and they cannot tell you anything about your own baby. The game runs on your phone. Nothing you pick is saved or sent anywhere.

Get a baby checked the same day

Take your baby to a clinic or hospital straight away if they are under 3 months old with a temperature of 38C or higher, are hard to wake, floppy, not feeding or passing fewer wet nappies, are breathing fast or with effort, have a fit, or have yellow skin or eyes (NHS: fever in children; NHS: jaundice in newborns). Ask your clinic before you put any oil, rub, drops or herbal mixture on or in a baby.

Written by Cynthia Obinatu, community and editorial lead. Sourced, not yet reviewed by a clinician.

How the Old Wives' Tales game works

You will see ten things that families, aunties and neighbours say about newborns and babies. Pick True, False or It depends. The answer and the source show straight away. Where a belief is unsafe, the answer says why and what to do instead.

Read one claim at a time.
Tap True, False or It depends.
Read the answer, the source and what to do instead.
See your score and send it to a friend.

What True, False and It depends mean here

True means the claim holds up in the sources. False means the sources do not support it. It depends means the claim is right for one age or situation and wrong for another.

Most of these practices come from love, and they were passed down by people who raised healthy children without clinics nearby. We explain each one and we never laugh at it. Shaving the head for a naming ceremony or a religious rite is a tradition families keep, and the game only checks the claim about hair thickness.

To see what many babies do at each age, use the Baby Milestone Tracker. For first foods after 6 months, read Starting solids.

Common questions

Is this medical advice?

No. The game is educational, and every answer is checked against the sources listed on the page. It is not yet reviewed by a clinician. Ask your clinic or paediatrician about your own baby.

Why do some answers say It depends?

Some beliefs are right at one age and wrong at another. Water for a baby is a good example, because it depends on whether the baby is under 6 months.

Does False mean my family was wrong?

No. These practices come from care, and many babies did well. The answer checks the claim against current evidence and says what to do instead.

Is my score saved?

No. Your picks stay on your phone. If you share your result, the link and the picture show your result only, never your picks.

Where this comes from

AAP HealthyChildren: A parent's guide to safe sleep. American Academy of Pediatrics.
NHS: Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). NHS.
KidsHealth: Umbilical hernias. Nemours KidsHealth.
NHS: Umbilical hernia. NHS.
Cleveland Clinic: Will shaving make your hair grow back thicker?. Cleveland Clinic.
NHS: Baby teething symptoms. NHS.
AAP HealthyChildren: Teething, 4 to 7 months. American Academy of Pediatrics.
NHS: Colic. NHS.
WHO: Infant and young child feeding. World Health Organization.
Cleveland Clinic: Why your baby should not have water. Cleveland Clinic.
KidsHealth: Dealing with earwax. Nemours KidsHealth.
AAP HealthyChildren: Cough and cold survival kit. American Academy of Pediatrics.
AAP HealthyChildren: How to care for your child's cold or flu. American Academy of Pediatrics.
MedlinePlus Genetics: Is height determined by genetics?. US National Library of Medicine.
AAP HealthyChildren: Nursemaid's elbow. American Academy of Pediatrics.
Filtered-sunlight phototherapy for neonatal jaundice in low-resource settings (review, PMC). PubMed Central.
NHS: Jaundice in newborns. NHS.
NHS: High temperature (fever) in children. NHS.

Every answer is checked against the sources above and is not yet reviewed by a clinician. Read it alongside our editorial policy and medical policy.

Go further

The First Baby Playbook

A community for parents in the baby and toddler years, guidance on sleep, feeding and milestones, and a professional to ask.

See the program →

Old Wives' Tales: True or False? Baby Edition

Get a baby checked the same day

How the Old Wives' Tales game works

What True, False and It depends mean here

Common questions

Where this comes from

The First Baby Playbook

Related

Baby Milestone Tracker

Baby Safety Checklist

Starting solids: first foods