The Reality Reports

Health Myths Are Everywhere: Have you ever heard that you should wait an hour after eating before swimming, or that cracking your knuckles will give you arthritis?  These are just a few of the many health myths that almost everyone has heard at some point. Even though science has shown these ideas are not true, many people still believe them.  Why do these myths stick around, and why are they so easy to believe? Understanding the reasons can help you make better choices about your health.

The Old Belief: Babies Couldn’t Feel Pain For much of the 20th century, doctors around the world believed that newborn babies could not feel pain.  This idea was based on the thought that a baby’s brain and nervous system were not developed enough to experience pain like older children or adults.  Many experts thought that when babies cried during medical procedures, it was just a reflex, not a real response to pain.  Because of this, doctors often performed surgeries and other painful procedures on infants with little or no anesthesia.