Myth 35: There are different “learning styles”.

We’ve all grown up being told that we learn better in different ways: some by doing, some by seeing, some by hearing…  This notion supported by the very real feeling that we do, in fact, absorb information better in some learning environments than in others.  Well, the Association for Psychological Science now says that learning styles are all a bunch of hooey.  They have reviewed all recognized studies that claim that a “visual learner” or an “auditory learner” exists, and have concluded that those studies “have not used the type of randomized research designs that would make their findings credible.”  That being said, it is still entirely possible that “learning styles” actually do exist, but basically what APS has declared is that nobody has ever sufficiently proven it.

Myth 34: All Hand Sanitizers Sanitize

The great savior of germ conscious parents far and wide is the gel based hand sanitizer.  Pocket size bottles of it emerge from diaper bags and purses after potentially infectious encounters with playgrounds, before eating in public restaurants, and even discreetly after playdates with friends who have suspiciously runny noses.  Applying the astringent makes us feel in control, but are we being effective? The quick and dirty answer is Yes and No.

Myths & Facts About Children’s Eye Health

Many parents grew up with medical adages or advice that have since been proven by scientists to be incorrect or outdated. Here are five common myths about children’s eye health and the medical reality behind them, written by the physicians at The Vision Center at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles.

Myth 33: Early Daycare Prevents Allergy & Asthma Later

[Written by American Thoracic Society]

New research hints that the common belief that kids who go to daycare have lower rates of asthma and allergy later in life might be nothing more than wishful thinking. While young children in daycare definitely do get more illnesses and experience more respiratory symptoms as a result, any perceived protection these exposures afford against asthma and allergy seem to disappear by the time the child hits the age of eight.

Myth 32: There’s Something Wrong With A Bedwetter

Once our children outgrow diapers, we all hope that they will enjoy comfortable nights of sleep in a dry bed.  Also, more practically, we want them to be able to sleep over at friends’ houses or in a hotel bed without worry that they will soil the bed or suffer embarrassment.  But what about the child who, despite diligent night-training, continues to sleep right through the urge to use the bathroom. Is it his fault? Is it ours?

Myth 31: All Anesthetics During Birth Harm Babies’ Brains

No less a revered medical institution than the Mayo Clinic, the saviors of severely medically challenged children nationwide, have studied and declared that anesthetics used during cesarean births do not cause children to have brain problems.

Myth 30: Lots Of Milk Builds Strong Bones

For years, doctors and scientists have told the public to drink milk, eat dairy products and take calcium supplements to improve bone health and prevent osteoporosis. The problem is they’re wrong. 

Myth 29: High Fructose Corn Syrup Is The Worst Of The Evils

Aside from the obvious nutritional benefits of ingesting natural sugars from their source, eating foods created from refined sugar of any kind seems to fall firmly within the jurisdiction of the epithet, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”

Myth 28: Children Get Poisoned On Halloween

The story that children far and wide are being poisoned by unwrapped Halloween candy and home-baked Halloween cookies, that there was ever a razor blade in the apple is the very definition of an urban legend. It is a myth to the extent that NO American child is on record as EVER being seriously hurt by a contaminated Trick-or-Treat bon bon.

Myth 27: “Natural” Childbirth Is Natural For Everyone

The tools and methods used or not used to deliver babies are “natural” subjective only to the culture with which one identifies.