Infections are not caused by lack of socks!?

[gruffalomom]

MIL staying with us for the holidays and DS1 has developed a chest infection (he is 4).

Dr diagnosed him and put him on antibiotics.

MIL is adamant this is because DS1 walks around with no socks on.

My understanding is bacteria don't really care if you have socks on or not?!

The house is warm and he doesn't want socks on...

Aibu to leave him without his socks?

You also should ensure their hair is dry when they leave the house or go to bed or else they’ll catch pneumonia.

DD2 developed bronchitis on holiday in Spain. MIL insisted the DC should not be walking around the FLat barefoot (in Southern Spain in August).

We took her to see the paediatrician and I asked about this. His answer was “When there is snow on the ground, children should wear shoes outside. Otherwise, they should do what is comfortable “

@Grimbles that was certainly what my DGM always told me.

Haha some brilliant science here! I remember the wet hair pneumonia one from my childhood.

No Washing hair during a period is a new one for me

There was a thread in Pregnancy a few weeks ago where the OP was very anxious as she had put her hands above her head, and her MIL had told her it could cause the umbilical cord to become wrapped around the baby’s neck.

In 2018 when we have access to the NHS, Web MD and at a push Google, I have very little time for people who spread misinformation and cause others worry needlessly.

My mum insisted ds would get pneumonia from playing in the snow (in 3000 layers): the next week he did get pneumonia so now that’s it proven

Apparently if you put vicks on feet it will cure said chest infection

My grandma used to think this. And sitting on cold concrete would cause your kidneys to pack up and shrivel. Draughts caused death. Probably instantly. She was wrong

Don't forget wearing wet/damp trousers/tights will give you piles.

And no holding newborn babies if youre on a period

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3LJG8Syt2V79D8cjZrPpL5l/can-you-catch-a-cold-from-getting-cold

There was a whole spate of 'this isn't true, nonsense' type stories, but there's increasing research that putting your system under the stress of cold can make you more vulnerable. Cold feet in this experiment at least did cause more people to get a cold.

That said, viruses thrive in hot environments so probably the worst thing to do is get extremely chill and then go in busy hot centrally heated places where there's a lot of viruses!

I have never subscribed to the 'cold can't cause a cold' theory of Mumsnet and much of the world spend time trying to keep warm for this very reason. In the UK it isn't life threateningly cold that often unless you are sleeping outside, but if you get very chilly 'to your bones' then I do think it can make you more at risk of getting sick myself.

Being cold can make you more vulnerable to infections but I'm sure if he was cold he'd put socks on.

I was told that walking barefoot was the cause of my migraines!

I thought it was piles from sitting on cold concrete, walls, etc

no you get piles from leaning against a radiator - FACT!

Apparently if you put vicks on feet it will cure said chest infection

I was told that was garlic, not vicks!

Did anyone ever rub garlic onto a child's feet? Has it ever done anything except make their socks smelly? Is there any way to convince people who believe in it that this does not work?

@Laiste, my GM was the same! And the idea of having a bath or, god forbid, swimming

Haha...
my Mam said the same sort of things to me.
You'll catch your death of cold...if... you have no socks on or if you go out with wet hair - that was the worst thing - she was terrified of that.
But also, you get ear infections rolling round the carpet.
You get throat infections from eating ice cream.

I've now been living with no heating for 7 years and I've had fewer colds since then - maybe 2 bad colds in the whole time and none of them turned into chest infections or pneumonia (which had happened a few times when I used to live in a centrally heated home).

I also go swimming regularly and shove my wet hair in my hat or even sit with a towel on my shoulders in the car (too lazy to dry it at the swimming pool) and I've never died yet.

My dad used to moan at us for not wearing appropriate clothing (including socks) or we would get pneumonia. This was 50 odd years ago. I think it stems from pre antibiotic times, when such an illness would often kill you.

@Laiste My Nan was also a no hair washing on period believer. No explanation ever given. Even my mum didn't know the supposed logic behind it

Oh lord, tell her to clear off and take her medical degree with her!!!!

My MIL thought you would catch a chill if you went out at all during the winter.
Babies under 6 months cannot catch colds or any other illnesses (so I must be doing something wrong for DD to ever be sick).

Apparently if you sit too close to the fire it will melt your spine
Yes mother.... why don't you just say I'm blocking the heat?

But you don’t ‘catch’ the cold from just being cold. You are just more likely to catch a cold from someone carrying the virus because your immune system may be slightly weakened.

I thought the danger of sitting on cold concrete was piles? Has to be cold concrete though, warm summer concrete is fine.

A long time ago a woman in the street accosted me and told me that my skirt was too short and that I would get " woman troubles" as a consequence. She was right, about twenty years later I was diagnosed with fibroids. So you have been warned.

Babies cannot catch colds ?

Oh bugger I was a terrible mother then ...my DC seemed (actually still do) to have constant runny noses

Sadly their clearly serious illnesses do not prevent boisterous dinosaur races through the house

They must be medical.marvels

Sadly dc1's insistence on socks whatever the weather hasn't prevented him from being unwell. His insistence that the rest of the family also wear socks at all times hasn't helped us either!