Emily Oster

3 min Read Emily Oster

Emily Oster

Can Giving a Baby an Egg in a Sock Help with Teething?

Q&A on the search for meaning

Emily Oster

3 min Read

OK, so I keep hearing about putting an egg in a sock to help with teething — something about the carbon dioxide makes it so the teething pain goes away? We tried it and our son actually had a good night of sleep, even with four teeth coming in! But is there any data on this, or did he just randomly have a good night?

—Austin

One of the hallmarks of parenthood is the search for meaning in your children’s sleep patterns. Maybe the reason my child slept well last night was because he ate exactly three candy corns and we left the closet door cracked 1.5 inches. But that wasn’t it! Infant and toddler sleep can be pretty unpredictable. The fact that they slept well when you tried one particular thing is … uninformative.

Still, could there be any truth to this egg business we’ve heard about on TikTok?

First, we can subject it to Bayes’ rule. As in: what do your priors tell you? Does it seem likely that hanging an egg in a sock in your child’s room would help with teething pain? When someone first mentioned this to me, I thought maybe the idea was that the kid would eat the egg. It’s not! (Although that does seem like a risk, especially given their newfound teeth.)

But beyond our priors, we can dig into the mechanisms here.

First, the idea is that the egg absorbs carbon dioxide. Apparently eggshell membranes can absorb seven times their weight in carbon dioxide, according to this one paper. An eggshell membrane is very light; however, the authors suggest that a single egg could absorb up to 1.15 grams of carbon dioxide.

We must compare this with the average amount of CO2 in a room. A typical bedroom might have a CO2 concentration of around 1,500 parts per million, which converts to 2.9 grams per meter squared. If your child’s room is 10 feet on all sides, that’s 28 cubic meters. So, in all, you’d expect about 81 grams of carbon dioxide. The egg would remove 1.15 of them, for about a 1.2% reduction. It’s a small share.

There actually is evidence that lowering the CO2 levels in a bedroom improves sleep. In one set of experiments, researchers opened windows in rooms, and they observed that CO2 declined and sleep was improved (as was mental performance). However, opening the window decreased the CO2 concentrations in the room by 75%. Not 1.2%.

In conclusion: it is possible that opening the window could help your child sleep better (teething or not). The hanging egg theory, though, is decidedly debunked.

Community Guidelines
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Two women stand on a balcony chatting. One is pregnant.

Feb 27 2023

6 min read

Your Best Parenting Advice

ParentData is 3!

Emily Oster
A toddler sits on a couch poking at an iPad and smiling.

Feb 16 2023

4 min read

Infant Screen Time and Academic Success

Infant screen time and breakfast cereal terror

Emily Oster
Red analog televisions are arranged on a yellow background.

Feb 03 2023

3 min read

How Harmful to Babies Is It to Have the TV on in the Background?

Ask ParentData

Emily Oster
A one-day-old newborn infant sleeps in its crib in the hospital.

Feb 02 2023

9 min read

Do I Need a SNOO?

All about the SNOO

Emily Oster

Instagram

left right
Reflux: It’s more common than you think! Comment “Link” for an article by @thepediatricianmom breaking down the information we have about reflux — what it is, what you can do, and red flags to look out for.

This graph shows how reflux changes with age. Nearly half of all babies experience reflux by 3 months, often peaking around 4 months before improving by their first birthday. And remember, if you’re struggling, you’re not alone. The most effective treatment for infant reflux is time. It will get better!

#parentdata #refluxbaby #babyreflux #spitup #parentingadvice #emilyoster

Reflux: It’s more common than you think! Comment “Link” for an article by @thepediatricianmom breaking down the information we have about reflux — what it is, what you can do, and red flags to look out for.

This graph shows how reflux changes with age. Nearly half of all babies experience reflux by 3 months, often peaking around 4 months before improving by their first birthday. And remember, if you’re struggling, you’re not alone. The most effective treatment for infant reflux is time. It will get better!

#parentdata #refluxbaby #babyreflux #spitup #parentingadvice #emilyoster
...

We’re heading into a three-day weekend, which means a lot of you might take the opportunity to do some potty training. 

Here are some things to keep in mind:
🚽 It takes longer than three days (based on the data!)
🚽 Your child will have trouble staying dry at night.
🚽 Poop sometimes comes later than pee – this is common, you just have to work through it.

Comment “Link” for an article that breaks down potty training data from ParentData readers,  along with helpful tips and tricks.

#pottytraining #pottytrainingtips #pottytrainingproblems #parentdata #emilyoster

We’re heading into a three-day weekend, which means a lot of you might take the opportunity to do some potty training.

Here are some things to keep in mind:
🚽 It takes longer than three days (based on the data!)
🚽 Your child will have trouble staying dry at night.
🚽 Poop sometimes comes later than pee – this is common, you just have to work through it.

Comment “Link” for an article that breaks down potty training data from ParentData readers, along with helpful tips and tricks.

#pottytraining #pottytrainingtips #pottytrainingproblems #parentdata #emilyoster
...

Trampoline parks: great way to get the sillies out or injury haven? Or both? Comment “Link” for an article breaking down a 2023 study on injury trends in trampoline parks.

Here’s a visualisation based on the paper, showing the injury rate by area. Beware the foam pit and the high-performance areas! Slam-dunking, though, seems fine.

#parentdata #emilyoster #trampolinepark #childsafety #trampolinefun

Trampoline parks: great way to get the sillies out or injury haven? Or both? Comment “Link” for an article breaking down a 2023 study on injury trends in trampoline parks.

Here’s a visualisation based on the paper, showing the injury rate by area. Beware the foam pit and the high-performance areas! Slam-dunking, though, seems fine.

#parentdata #emilyoster #trampolinepark #childsafety #trampolinefun
...

I’m teaming up with @Wholefoods to remind you that even though school lunches can be tricky, they have everything you need, from conventional to organic, to give you peace of mind about the foods your kids eat. Through their rigorous Quality Standards, they ban 300+ ingredients from food. 

Does your kid have any special or weird lunch requests? Share in the comments! Tap the link in my bio for more tips and inspiration #WholeFoodsMarket

I’m teaming up with @Wholefoods to remind you that even though school lunches can be tricky, they have everything you need, from conventional to organic, to give you peace of mind about the foods your kids eat. Through their rigorous Quality Standards, they ban 300+ ingredients from food.

Does your kid have any special or weird lunch requests? Share in the comments! Tap the link in my bio for more tips and inspiration #WholeFoodsMarket
...

Travel is already stressful. Add kids to the equation, and it becomes even more complicated. Here are 3 tips and considerations for handling jet lag in kids.

#travelwithkids #jetlag #melatonin #parentingtips #parentdata #emilyoster

Travel is already stressful. Add kids to the equation, and it becomes even more complicated. Here are 3 tips and considerations for handling jet lag in kids.

#travelwithkids #jetlag #melatonin #parentingtips #parentdata #emilyoster
...

Happy 11th birthday to #ExpectingBetter 🎂🎉 Writing this book completely changed my life. I could never have imagined the opportunities and community it would lead me to. Grateful to all of you for reading and being here!

To celebrate, you can use the code “expectingbetter” for 15% off Web or Plus subscriptions on ParentData.org 💛

#bookbirthday #pregnancyadvice #parentdata #emilyoster

Happy 11th birthday to #ExpectingBetter 🎂🎉 Writing this book completely changed my life. I could never have imagined the opportunities and community it would lead me to. Grateful to all of you for reading and being here!

To celebrate, you can use the code “expectingbetter” for 15% off Web or Plus subscriptions on ParentData.org 💛

#bookbirthday #pregnancyadvice #parentdata #emilyoster
...

Screens have become a ubiquitous part of classroom life. Is this a good thing? Today on the ParentData podcast, I talk with @jessgrosewrites from the @nytimes. She recently ran a survey asking about kids’ screen usage after not being able to find studies and data on the subject.

“Nothing is all bad or all good. But I think overall, there just has been very little scrutiny into something that has been a massive shift in the way kids learn in the past, let’s say, two decades.”

Comment “Link” for a DM to listen to today’s podcast episode. 🎧

#screentime #technologyintheclassroom #parentdatapodcast #parentdata #emilyoster

Screens have become a ubiquitous part of classroom life. Is this a good thing? Today on the ParentData podcast, I talk with @jessgrosewrites from the @nytimes. She recently ran a survey asking about kids’ screen usage after not being able to find studies and data on the subject.

“Nothing is all bad or all good. But I think overall, there just has been very little scrutiny into something that has been a massive shift in the way kids learn in the past, let’s say, two decades.”

Comment “Link” for a DM to listen to today’s podcast episode. 🎧

#screentime #technologyintheclassroom #parentdatapodcast #parentdata #emilyoster
...

We surveyed the ParentData audience and here’s what you said about the worst baby products. Bottom of the list: unnecessary warmers. Don’t get your kid used to having warm diaper wipes! Nothing good can come of that.

Comment “Link” for the best baby items and other parenting wisdom from the ParentData community. Best general advice: get things used, and you do not need as much as you think. 

Add your advice below! What do you wish you’d known about in advance, and what was a waste? ⬇️

#parentdata #emilyoster #babyproducts #babyitems #newparents #firsttimeparents

We surveyed the ParentData audience and here’s what you said about the worst baby products. Bottom of the list: unnecessary warmers. Don’t get your kid used to having warm diaper wipes! Nothing good can come of that.

Comment “Link” for the best baby items and other parenting wisdom from the ParentData community. Best general advice: get things used, and you do not need as much as you think.

Add your advice below! What do you wish you’d known about in advance, and what was a waste? ⬇️

#parentdata #emilyoster #babyproducts #babyitems #newparents #firsttimeparents
...

Breast is great. But formula is also great. Shaming people for making either choice is harmful. Comment “Link” for an article on formula and the differences between brands.

#emilyoster #parentdata #babyformula #breastfedbaby  #babyhealth

Breast is great. But formula is also great. Shaming people for making either choice is harmful. Comment “Link” for an article on formula and the differences between brands.

#emilyoster #parentdata #babyformula #breastfedbaby #babyhealth
...

Don’t worry about buying a bottle warmer, worry about your relationship. Comment “Link” for an article by @yaelschonbrun on ways to help baby-proof your relationship.

#parentdata #emilyoster #newparents #lifeafterbaby #relationshipadvice

Don’t worry about buying a bottle warmer, worry about your relationship. Comment “Link” for an article by @yaelschonbrun on ways to help baby-proof your relationship.

#parentdata #emilyoster #newparents #lifeafterbaby #relationshipadvice
...

How do we get our kids excited about math? Can every kid be a “math kid”? Shalinee Sharma of @zearnmath shares her insights on the ParentData podcast. 

When I offered her a magic wand to fix math education, she told me: “We have to pair understanding with memorizing. And the best way to understand really anything, but especially math, is simple pictures, concrete context, just make it feel real, not abstract and theoretical. What’s a negative number? Think about if sea level is zero and then you dive into the ocean, that’s a negative number. And then you climb a mountain, well that’s a positive number… We just need pictures to be a part of mathematics.”

Comment “Link” for a DM to listen to today’s podcast episode. 🎧

#parentdata #parentdatapodcast #parentingpodcast #mathforkids #emilyoster

How do we get our kids excited about math? Can every kid be a “math kid”? Shalinee Sharma of @zearnmath shares her insights on the ParentData podcast.

When I offered her a magic wand to fix math education, she told me: “We have to pair understanding with memorizing. And the best way to understand really anything, but especially math, is simple pictures, concrete context, just make it feel real, not abstract and theoretical. What’s a negative number? Think about if sea level is zero and then you dive into the ocean, that’s a negative number. And then you climb a mountain, well that’s a positive number… We just need pictures to be a part of mathematics.”

Comment “Link” for a DM to listen to today’s podcast episode. 🎧

#parentdata #parentdatapodcast #parentingpodcast #mathforkids #emilyoster
...

I hear from many of you that the information on ParentData makes you feel seen. Wherever you are on your journey, it’s always helpful to know you’re not alone. 

Drop an emoji in the comments that best describes your pregnancy or parenting searches lately… 💤🚽🍻🎒💩

I hear from many of you that the information on ParentData makes you feel seen. Wherever you are on your journey, it’s always helpful to know you’re not alone.

Drop an emoji in the comments that best describes your pregnancy or parenting searches lately… 💤🚽🍻🎒💩
...

Milestones. We celebrate them in pregnancy, in parenting, and they’re a fun thing to celebrate at work too. Just a couple years ago I couldn’t have foreseen what this community would grow into. Today, there are over 400,000 of you here—asking questions, making others feel seen wherever they may be in their journey, and sharing information that supports data > panic. 

It has been a busy summer for the team at ParentData. I’d love to take a moment here to celebrate the 400k milestone. As I’ve said before, it’s more important than ever to put good data in the hands of parents. 

Share this post with a friend who could use a little more data, and a little less parenting overwhelm. 

📷 Me and my oldest, collaborating on “Expecting Better”

Milestones. We celebrate them in pregnancy, in parenting, and they’re a fun thing to celebrate at work too. Just a couple years ago I couldn’t have foreseen what this community would grow into. Today, there are over 400,000 of you here—asking questions, making others feel seen wherever they may be in their journey, and sharing information that supports data > panic.

It has been a busy summer for the team at ParentData. I’d love to take a moment here to celebrate the 400k milestone. As I’ve said before, it’s more important than ever to put good data in the hands of parents.

Share this post with a friend who could use a little more data, and a little less parenting overwhelm.

📷 Me and my oldest, collaborating on “Expecting Better”
...

I spend a lot of time talking people down after they read the latest panic headline. In most cases, these articles create an unnecessary amount of stress around pregnancy and parenting. This is my pro tip for understanding whether the risk presented is something you should really be worrying about.

Comment “link” for an article with other tools to help you navigate risk and uncertainty.

#emilyoster #parentdata #riskmanagement #parentstruggles #parentingstruggles

I spend a lot of time talking people down after they read the latest panic headline. In most cases, these articles create an unnecessary amount of stress around pregnancy and parenting. This is my pro tip for understanding whether the risk presented is something you should really be worrying about.

Comment “link” for an article with other tools to help you navigate risk and uncertainty.

#emilyoster #parentdata #riskmanagement #parentstruggles #parentingstruggles
...