Parents want the best for their children, but old husband stories can be overwhelming. A new poll of 1,100 mothers and pop from CS Mott Children's Hospital at the University of Michigan found that seven out of 10 caregivers rely on "folklore techniques" to get kids' through the cold and flu.

Here are three of the most common health care legends, explained:

The disease is spread through the comings and goings of viruses and bacteria (and sometimes fungi, but it is not really a cold-and-flu thing). Some infectious agents are more active at lower temperatures; The rhinovirus, for example, loves the human nasal cavity, in part because it is usually a few degrees colder than the rest of the body. But it really drops your contact with the right germs, no matter what 52 percent of parents are afraid of the Mott Poll. You can get the common cold in the Sahara in July if the right virus is present, and you can do this through a cold wint in the cold Arctic cold-free if you dry every bad bug.

Parents seem to be divided on where their children should spend cold weather. 48 percent keep their children indoors to limit the spread of seasonal bugs, while 23 percent of parents encourage their children to go out for the same reason. It depends on the same logical logic as the wet legend of hair. But research is solid: it’s not about where you are, it’s about what you do. A sneeze from an infected person can spread the disease, whether you are inside or not.

The Mott poll also found that 51 percent of parents use over-the-counter medications in hopes of preventing colds. One of the most popular purchases is the multivitamins. The only problem is, there is little evidence that such pills work.

Vitamins are best when ingested as part of a balanced diet. Most supplements only give you expensive pee. Vitamin C and zinc, which have also become popular with polled parents, have not been proven to prevent a cold, although zinc lozenges or syrup can help treat an infection you already have.

"It is important for parents to note that supplements and vitamins are not regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and that the effectiveness of these products does not need to be proven to sell them, the authors warn.

Some of the folksy techniques seen in the Mott poll a passed down from generation to generation, the study authors wrote. These probably started before people knew that germs actually cause diseases like the common cold. As a result, families try many things to keep each other as healthy as possible. a knack for soothing mucosal membranes, not to mention a powerful placebo effect but many more don t.

Fortunately, scientific evidence has provided some more robust techniques in preventing colds. The most important of these is related to hygiene, according to the authors. Of the polled parents, 99 percent should have encouraged their children to wash their hands often. Also, 94 percent taught their kiddos to keep their hands away from their mouths and noses, and the same percentage encouraged them to keep their utensils and drinks to themselves. Last but not least, 87 percent of parents limit their kiddos contact with people who are already sick.

So let your kids run around with wet hair all they want. Just make sure they wash their hands when they are done. And if you hope to prevent the flu prevention, it is not too late to vaccinate them.