Medical Myths—Busted!

Local pediatricians tell us about the biggst mistakes and misconceptions about kids' health that they encounter.

Can cold weather make your kids sick? Will the flu shot cause the flu? We asked area pediatricians and pediatric specialists to dispel some of the whopper myths, misconceptions, and mistakes they observe among their patients’ parents. We hope these help put your mind at ease.

Medical Myths

The flu shot will cause the flu. This is a huge myth, according to many pediatric specialists who stand by the recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control to annually vaccinate anyone older than 6 months. “After a flu shot you may have the sniffles and chills, but you can’t actually get the flu from a flu shot,” says Preeti Parikh, M.D., an assistant clinical professor in the pediatrics department at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, who also is affiliated with Pediatrics of New York. She explains it this way: The flu vaccine is usually made from the actual flu virus, but it’s a dead or inactive version that only tricks your body into thinking it’s been infected. “That ‘trick’ triggers the immune system to fight the virus and protect you from future infections,” she says. “It’s that immune system fight that may cause the unpleasant feelings people assume is the flu.” Best to get flu shots in October so the family is protected before flu season hits its peak in January.

Fever should always be treated with medicine. Worried parents are sometimes too quick to medicate a fever. “Parents persist in thinking that the slightest fever is dangerous,” says Maya Shetreat-Klein, M.D., a Bronx-based integrative pediatric neurologist. “While fever occasionally can be a sign of a dangerous infection, it’s more often the body’s healthy immune response that fights dangerous infection. Fever is, in a sense, the body’s own version of an antibiotic. Ideally, it is best to allow a child to mount a fever—even up to 104, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics—and meanwhile give fluids, allow the child to be cool and comfortable and to get rest.” Before resorting to fever-reducing medications, Dr. Shetreat-Klein suggests parents try cool compresses, lukewarm baths, or 1-2 drops of peppermint oil on a cold washcloth for the forehead.

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Cold weather will get my kids sick. Parents keep kids indoors fearing that colder temperatures will make them more vulnerable to illness, but colds and viruses may spike in the winter for the opposite reason than most people think. “It might be because we spend so much time inside when it’s cold outside,” Parikh says. “That means we’re generally spending more time in close quarters with other people, and we know that the common cold is easily passed between people—especially when they touch shared objects like doorknobs, phones, and desks.” Wash your hands a lot during cold season, and definitely keep kids home when they are sick, but know that cold weather, or going out without a hat, is not the culprit, she says.

Colic means my baby will grow up cranky and sick. Like the gas that often comes with colic, this too will pass, but mothers often fret that it is a sign of temperament, nerves, food sensitivities, and future stomach issues, says Eileen DiFrisco, R.N., who is nurse manager for the Mother-Baby Unit at NYU Langone Medical Center. The exact cause of colic is unknown, she says, but 15-25 percent of all newborns may experience colic—usually between 2 weeks old and peaking at around 6 weeks, before it begins to resolve around 3-4 months. “Most babies move past this and this is not reflection on their personality later in life,” DiFrisco says. 

If my child misbehaves I must be a bad parent.Some kids are a handful despite the best efforts of their moms and dads. “While it is true that poor parenting can lead to a kid’s misbehavior, it is also true that temperament plays a part in a child’s developing personality,” says Gustavo Stringel, M.D., a surgeon at New York Medical College, Westchester Medical Center, and the Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital in Valhalla. Parents can do a lot to guide a child through, helping their child to grow, but sometimes they need support. “Don’t buy into the judgments of others; rather, consult a child psychologist, pediatrician, or another medical professional you trust,” he says.