Old wives' tales can sometimes come true. Raisingkids.co.uk's medical expert, Dr Malcolm McKenzie, eases our fears over the perils of swallowing chewing gum.

Raisingkids member's problem
My 10 yr-old has taken to chewing gum because she says it makes her look cool. However, she's picked up the habit of swallowing it rather than spitting it out. I'm worried about the effect it might have on her, as I was always told it was dangerous to swallow chewing gum when I was a child.

Dr McKenzie's advice
What charming habits kids pick up in their efforts to look cool! Why anyone would choose to swallow chewing gum is a mystery to me, and, although I certainly wouldn't advise swallowing it, I can assure you it isn't actually dangerous.

Along with many generations of children, Iwas also warned of the perils of swallowing chewing gum and that it would stay in the stomach for years. My own personal favourite story was that it could find its way out of the digestive system and wrap itself around the different vital organs and cut off the blood supply. Fortunately, this and other old wives tales, are untrue.

Chewing gum consists of a fibre that can't be digested by our bodies, so, if it's swallowed, apart from the unpleasant texture, it will pass harmlessly through the body intact along with other waste. There is no way it could get lost and wrap itself around vital organs or lurk in the stomach for untold years.

If you can't get your daughter to stop, don't worry. This is almost certainly just a phase she is going through and she'll grow out of it. In the meantime, comfort yourself with the fact that it's not doing her any harm. She will also have lovely fresh breath and the increased saliva from chewing can help protect her teeth from cavities.