Many U.S. Parents Still Believe in Common Cold Folklore

“Don’t go outside with wet hair!” and “Take your vitamins!” are two things kids in the U.S. might hear from their parents during the cold and flu season. More than half of all parents surveyed in the U.S. still believe that these two precautions will prevent an infection in children even though there is little to no scientific evidence to back it up.

A poll by the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital also found that both restricting their children’s play time outside (48 percent) and encouraging them to play outside more (23 percent) were among unscientific methods employed by parents to prevent the illness. Neither of these methods is proven to have an effect.

The good news is that even more parents employ scientifically proven strategies to prevent the common cold. Almost all parents in the poll suggested children wash their hands frequently (99 percent), keep their hands out of their nose and mouth (94 percent) and don’t share drinks with others (94 percent). 87 percent also reported they tried to keep their children away from people already infected. 84 percent said they were sanitizing their child’s environment more often.