1. Giving Kids Codeine Cough Syrup
If you had a nasty cough as a kid in the ’70s or ’80s, there’s a good chance you got dosed with codeine. This opioid was a staple in many prescription cough syrups, even for children. It worked, sure—but it also carried a high risk of respiratory depression and dependency. For years, doctors handed it out like candy.
Now, the FDA strictly advises against giving codeine to kids under 12 due to overdose risks, according to Rebecca Hersher from NPR. In many countries, it’s illegal to prescribe it to children altogether. Pediatric use is considered dangerous, not therapeutic. We’ve come a long way in recognizing that kids’ developing systems can’t safely handle opioids.
2. Smoking in Hospital Rooms
Believe it or not, there was a time when patients could smoke in their hospital beds—with ashtrays provided on bedside tables. It was considered normal, even comforting, especially in maternity wards and psychiatric units. Doctors and nurses often smoked right alongside their patients, according to Ersilia Pompilio from Working Nurse. No one batted an eye until public health campaigns caught up in the late 1980s and 1990s.
Once we fully understood the dangers of secondhand smoke, laws changed quickly. Smoking in hospitals became illegal in most countries, including the U.S., by the early 1990s. Now, lighting up anywhere near a healthcare facility can get you fined or kicked out. It’s hard to imagine a world where lighting a cigarette in a cancer ward was once the norm.
3. Using X-Rays for Shoe Fittings
Shoe stores in the mid-20th century actually had machines called fluoroscopes, where kids would stick their feet in and watch their bones wiggle around. The idea was to make sure shoes fit perfectly by looking at the bones in real time. No one thought twice about the radiation exposure. It was just a cool toy to most kids.
Eventually, we learned repeated radiation exposure—especially for growing children—can significantly increase cancer risk. These machines were phased out in the 1970s after safety concerns became too loud to ignore. Today, X-rays are tightly regulated and never used recreationally. Looking back, it feels almost surreal that this was a thing.
4. Not Wearing Gloves During Childbirth
Up until the 1980s, it was common for doctors to deliver babies with bare hands, Rebecca Davis from NPR explains. In some cases, they wouldn’t even wash their hands between patients. Gloves were viewed as unnecessary unless there was an open wound. The lack of sterile protocol often led to infections like puerperal fever.
This changed rapidly with the rise of HIV/AIDS, which highlighted the risks of bloodborne transmission. Gloves and proper hand hygiene became standard medical practice—and then legal requirements. Now, failing to wear gloves in such scenarios would be considered medical negligence. It’s one of those practices we didn’t realize was horrifying until hindsight kicked in.
5. School Physicals Involving Genital Exams Without Parents
Many Gen Xers and early Millennials remember lining up in the school gym for physicals—including hernia checks done by strangers. Often, there were no parents present and little explanation given, according to Joe McDonald from the Pocono Record. It was awkward, invasive, and incredibly normalized. Most of us just thought, “Well, that’s what school checkups are.”
Today, such exams without a guardian’s consent or presence would be illegal in many states. Guidelines now require more transparency and parental involvement. Doctors must also provide clear explanations and obtain informed consent. The shift recognizes the importance of bodily autonomy and child protection.
6. Tonsillectomies for Nearly Every Sore Throat
Back in the day, tonsillectomies were performed almost reflexively. If you had more than a couple sore throats a year, out came the tonsils—no questions asked. The surgery was viewed as preventative, even if there wasn’t a pressing medical need. Many kids had them done before age 10.
Now, the medical community takes a much more conservative approach. Tonsil removal is typically reserved for cases involving sleep apnea or chronic, severe infections. Unnecessary surgeries on children are discouraged, and each case is evaluated individually. What was once a rite of passage is now a last resort.
7. Lead in Medicine and Cosmetics
Lead acetate used to be a common ingredient in medical ointments and even some cosmetic products. In the early-to-mid 20th century, it was used to treat skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis. Some hair dyes also contained lead compounds. The risks of long-term exposure were not well understood.
Eventually, science caught up, and the dangers of lead poisoning—especially in children—became impossible to ignore. Now, the use of lead in medicine or personal care products is strictly banned in most countries. Lead exposure has been linked to cognitive deficits, kidney damage, and even death. What was once mainstream is now a public health scandal.
8. Force-Feeding Hospital Patients
For decades, patients in mental health institutions who refused to eat were often force-fed—sometimes through nasogastric tubes inserted without anesthesia or consent. This practice was particularly common in cases involving eating disorders or political hunger strikes. It was done under the guise of “doing what’s best” for the patient. Little regard was given to the trauma it caused.
Today, forced feeding is legally and ethically controversial. Many countries now recognize it as a violation of human rights, especially when used without a court order. Consent, bodily autonomy, and mental capacity assessments are now central to treatment decisions. The shift reflects a deeper respect for patient dignity.
9. Lobotomies as Mental Health Treatment
Once hailed as a revolutionary cure for everything from depression to schizophrenia, lobotomies were common in the mid-20th century. Surgeons would sever connections in the brain’s frontal lobes, often leaving patients permanently impaired. Thousands underwent the procedure without fully informed consent. It was even used on teenagers and those with developmental disabilities.
As psychiatric medications advanced, lobotomies fell out of favor—and into infamy. They’re now considered barbaric and have been outlawed or heavily restricted in most countries. The procedure is a stark reminder of how little we once understood about mental health. What was once hailed as a miracle cure is now a cautionary tale.
10. Using Mercury Thermometers in Kids’ Mouths
For generations, the standard household thermometer contained mercury—and it went right under the tongue. Parents and nurses alike used them without hesitation. If one broke, most people just swept up the silvery liquid and moved on. Few realized how toxic mercury really was.
Now, mercury thermometers have been banned or phased out in many parts of the world. Mercury exposure can cause neurological damage, especially in children. Digital thermometers are safer, faster, and just as accurate. What used to be a staple in every medicine cabinet is now a hazardous material.
11. Sunlamp Treatments for Babies
In the mid-1900s, it was common for pediatricians to prescribe UV sunlamp treatments for jaundiced babies. While phototherapy is still used today, the early devices lacked safety standards. Babies were sometimes overexposed, leading to burns and long-term eye damage. Parents were told it was good for their baby’s “color.”
Today, phototherapy is carefully regulated and conducted in clinical settings. UV exposure is tightly controlled, and eye protection is mandatory. Home sunlamps for infants are no longer considered safe or legal. The difference is in the regulation—not the concept.
12. No Seatbelts in Ambulances
For a long time, ambulance patients—and even paramedics—rode without seatbelts. The focus was on speed and access, not safety. If you were being rushed to the hospital in the ’70s or ’80s, odds are you were bouncing around on a gurney with zero restraints. It sounds shocking now, but it was par for the course.
Today, EMTs and patients are legally required to wear restraints whenever feasible. Modern ambulances have systems designed for both mobility and safety. Studies have shown that unrestrained patients and staff are at high risk of injury in crashes. Safety protocols have come a long way.
13. DDT Spraying Around Hospitals
DDT, a powerful insecticide, was once sprayed liberally around hospitals to control mosquito populations. It was believed to be harmless to humans, so no precautions were taken during application. In some places, it was even sprayed indoors—on curtains, floors, and bedding. The goal was to keep malaria and other vector-borne diseases at bay.
Later studies revealed DDT’s links to cancer, liver damage, and reproductive issues. It was banned in the U.S. in 1972 and is now illegal in many other countries. Hospitals are now highly regulated environments, and chemical use is strictly controlled. What was once “best practice” is now considered environmental malpractice.
14. No Pain Relief for Infant Surgeries
Until the 1980s, it was common for surgeons to operate on infants with little or no pain relief. The prevailing belief was that babies couldn’t feel pain the same way adults did. Some were given paralytics to prevent movement—but no anesthesia. It’s almost unthinkable today, but this was standard care for decades.
Modern research has debunked the myth that infants don’t feel pain. Today, pediatric surgery involves full anesthesia and pain management protocols. Medical ethics and law demand it. This is one of the clearest examples of how much more humane medicine has become.
