Infants and children are at an important stage of growth and development and need special attention and care from parents. In life, parents often hear all kinds of statements. Among these statements, which are scientific and which are half-informed, misinformed and misinformed? The reporter in the column of "Verification" contacted relevant experts and made an answer.
The food marked "children" is healthier than other foods?
Response: "Children’s food" is a concept created by enterprises. The specific difference of food depends on the ingredient list and nutrient composition list.
Fan Zhihong, Ph.D., College of Food Science, China Agricultural University, said that at present, there is no special "children’s food" standard for children over 2 years old in China, and "children’s food" is only a concept created by enterprises themselves, which is usually only different in appearance and volume compared with other similar products. For example, the difference between children’s milk and pure milk is that sugar or honey is added, which makes it sweeter, higher in calories and smaller in packaging. Parents don’t have to be particularly attracted by the word "children". The specific differences should be carefully examined in the ingredient list and nutrient composition list on the package.
In Fan Zhihong, for example, the carbohydrate content of a child’s yogurt is 13.5%, while the carbohydrate content of most yoghurts is 11%-12%, which shows that the product has added extra sugar. Looking at the ingredient list, we can also find that there is no sugar and honey in pure milk, while if there are sweet raw materials such as honey in the ingredient list of children’s milk, it means that it is sweet to attract children. In fact, children’s concept foods often add some flavors suitable for children’s taste preferences, but increasing children’s appetite through seasoning will only make children more and more dependent on seasoning. Fan Zhihong believes that if you eat a heavy-tasting diet from an early age, it is often difficult to control the demand for salt when you grow up and increase the risk of illness.
Experts believe that children’s concept food should be strictly examined, and marketing gimmicks are harmful to children’s health. Li Liu, director of Beijing Children’s Hospital Health Center, said that children’s concept food should have national standards, stricter requirements on additives and shelf life, and special supervision and inspection institutions.
Sweetening will affect the hematopoietic function of children’s bone marrow and even lead to leukemia?
Response: Sweet drinks are really unhealthy, but these claims are alarmist.
Experts don’t agree with the saying that "sweetener can enter the bone marrow through the kidney", "sweetener blocks the net of bone marrow like a plastic bag" and "aplastic anemia is leukemia". Fan Zhihong reminded that sweet drinks are really unhealthy, and their main harm is that they may increase the risk of chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension and gout, and also increase the risk of dental caries and affect bone health. However, the nutritional value is not high or it contains additives, but the claims of causing cancer and leukemia are really alarmist.
Children under the age of 6 should not wear sunglasses, otherwise the macular area of the fundus will not be effectively stimulated, which will affect the visual development?
Response: Children should wear good quality sunglasses under strong light.
Li Liu said that ultraviolet rays from the sun can irritate the eyes. Children’s eyes are very sensitive to external stimuli during their growth and development. Children should wear sunglasses in the face of strong light, but they must be of good quality.
Li Li, chief ophthalmologist of Beijing Children’s Hospital, said that ultraviolet rays are strong from 10 am to 2 pm in summer, so it is necessary to pay attention to wearing sunglasses for children. At this time, it is best to avoid taking children outdoors. In places with strong light such as plateau and seaside, it is best to wear sunglasses for children. The incidence of cataract in plateau area is higher than that in plain area, and the onset age is earlier than that in plain area, so children in plateau area should pay attention to eye protection from an early age.
Li Li said that children should wear sunglasses in strong light environment. If children have amblyopia, myopia or hyperopia, they should choose anti-glare lenses while matching the corresponding glasses.
Children are afraid of sleeping when they are young. Should they turn on the light to sleep?
Response: Sleeping with the lights on may cause visual and nervous system damage in children, so we should cultivate the habit of sleeping with the lights off.
Li Liu said that turning on the lights in children’s rooms at night will change the natural law of bright day and dark night, and the development of visual organs of infants and young children is easily affected, which may cause damage to children’s vision and nervous system, resulting in myopia, hyperopia or astigmatism. Therefore, parents should cultivate the habit of turning off the lights and sleeping from an early age. Indoor lights should be turned off at night, and only dim lamps can be used when taking care of infants. It’s best not to open the nightlight. If you want to use it, you can insert it at the end of the bed to prevent children from feeling the light.
Children who have been exposed to pets such as cats and dogs for a long time are not easy to get sick?
Response: Pets may carry 7 to 8 kinds of zoonotic diseases, so they must undergo health examination before keeping them.
Ni Hemin, a professor at the College of Animal Science and Technology of Beijing Agricultural College, said that children after the age of five or six are in an emotional sensitive period. Living with pets can not only cultivate children’s observation of things, but also cultivate their self-control and love. But the premise is that pets must be clean and not carry pathogens. Because children and pets live together with many potential risks, pets may carry about 7 to 8 kinds of zoonotic diseases, such as rabies (dogs and cats), tuberculosis, toxoplasmosis, etc., which may be transmitted to children and adults. Therefore, pets should have a health check-up before feeding and be vaccinated in time to ensure safety.
Ni Hemin believes that it is best to check pets regularly. As long as the pets are healthy, pregnant women can continue to keep pets.
Babies’ bones are soft, so effective nursing can help shape the perfect bone shape?
Response: The baby’s bone development will be changed by external influences, but it is necessary to prevent injuries caused by incorrect external forces.
Li Liu said that the development of a baby’s bones will be changed by external influences during its development. However, excessive and incorrect external forces can also cause some injuries, such as pinching the baby’s nose and nose, which will make the nasal cavity congested and inflamed and easy to be attacked by viruses. Regarding the saying that babies sleep on their sides in turn to avoid head deviation, Li Liu said that before the baby’s skull seam is closed and stereotyped, different sleeping positions will have an impact on future head growth, so it makes sense for babies to sleep on their sides in turn to avoid head deviation.
At the same time, Li Liu reminded that babies within 3 months must not sleep on their stomachs to prevent suffocation.