Deborah Blum, Director of the Knight Science Journalism Program, MIT, and Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Love at Goon Park: Harry Harlow and the Science of Affection Is it confirmation bias to say that anyone who decides to look at scientific facts instead of hectoring parents is doing the world a service? If so, consider my opinion biased: This book will help a lot of folks!”

The ultimate resource for today's science-minded generation, The Informed Parent was written for readers who prefer facts to 'friendly advice,' and who prefer to make up their own minds, based on the latest findings as well as their own personal preferences. Science writers and parents themselves, authors Tara Haelle and Emily Willingham have sifted through thousands of research studies on dozens of essential topics, and distill them in this essential and engaging book. Alice Callahan, PhD, author of The Science of Mom: A Research-Based Guide to Your Baby’s First Year Suzanne Barston, the “Fearless Formula Feeder” and author of Bottled Up: How the Way We Feed Babies Has Come to Define Motherhood, and Why It Shouldn’tClear, comprehensive, and resolutely evidence-based, The Informed Parent is a fabulous resource for science-minded parents. Haelle and Willingham have tirelessly compiled the evidence on so many questions that cause parents to worry and wonder, and with all of this science at their fingertips, they'll be able to make confident and informed choices for their families. From pre-conception to preschool, you'll find yourself returning to this book again and again." In the era of questionable Internet 'facts' and parental oversharing, it's more important than ever to find credible information on everything from prenatal vitamins to screen time. The good news is that parents and parents-to-be no longer need to rely on an opinionated mother-in-law about whether it's OK to eat sushi in your third trimester, an old college roommate for sleep-training 'rules,' or an online parenting group about how long you should breastfeed (there's a vehement group for every opinion). Credible scientific studies are out there - and they're 'bottom-lined' in this book. The ultimate resource for today’s science-minded generation, The Informed Parent was written for readers who prefer facts to “friendly advice,” and who prefer to make up their own minds, based on the latest findings as well as their own personal preferences. Science writers and parents themselves, authors Tara Haelle and Emily Willingham have sifted through thousands of research studies on dozens of essential topics, and distill them in this essential and engaging book. Topics include:

Parents in the internet age have to navigate their way through a maze of confusing information and misinformation. Tara Haelle and Emily Willingham are the perfect guides to what’s fact and fiction when it comes to the science of parenting.” Accessible and informative…For anyone headed into parenthood, this is a must-read, as it answers so many questions new parents are bound to ask.” Clear, comprehensive, and resolutely evidence-based, The Informed Parent is a fabulous resource for science-minded parents. Haelle and Willingham have tirelessly compiled the evidence on so many questions that cause parents to worry and wonder, and with all of this science at their fingertips, they’ll be able to make confident and informed choices for their families. From pre-conception to preschool, you’ll find yourself returning to this book again and again.”

With The Informed Parent, Tara Haelle and Emily Willingham have gifted today’s neurotic parents with fuel - and ultimately antidote - for their obsessive researching. Unlike most parenting books, the authors never preach, condone or praise. Instead, they report the science on all possible parenting controversies in a lay-friendly (and often pithy) style, allowing the reader to come to her/his own conclusions. Well-written, impeccably researched, and brilliantly suited for millennial parents, The Informed Parent should be on the top of everyone’s baby shower list." In the era of questionable Internet "facts" and parental oversharing, it's more important than ever to find credible information on everything from prenatal vitamins to screen time. The good news is that parents and parents-to-be no longer need to rely on an opinionated mother-in-law about whether it’s OK to eat sushi in your third trimester, an old college roommate for sleep-training “rules,” or an online parenting group about how long you should breastfeed (there’s a vehement group for every opinion). Credible scientific studies are out there – and they’re “bottom-lined” in this book. The main problem with this book is that the discussions are too brief. They tried to cram a lot of subjects in, and many of the subjects receive very little time and attention. For instance, the potty training section speaks only about studies of the average time that potty training occurs in different kids. I suppose that's useful information, but it's not going to be nearly enough if you're looking for practical advice about how to potty train.

Home birth; Labour induction; Vaginal birth vs. C-section; Circumcision; Postpartum depression; Breastfeeding; Vaccines; Sleep training; Pacifiers; SIDS; Bed-sharing; Potty training; Weaning; Childhood Obesity; Screen time; Food sensitivies and allergies; BPA and plastics; GMOs vs. organic foods; The Hygiene Hypothesis; Spanking; Daycare vs. other childcare options. In The Informed Parent, journalists Tara Haelle and Emily Willingham manage to answer everything a parent could possibly be worried about during pregnancy, birth, infancy, and toddlerhood. What makes this book different from every other book on this subject (and there are many) is that the authors take on not only the science of what concerns us, but encourage us to think along with them—giving us the tools to answer other questions in the future. It was like reading the answer sheet before the test." Dan Fagin,Director of the Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program at NYU, and Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Toms River: A Story of Science and Salvation

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Seth Mnookin, Associate Director ofMIT’s Graduate Program in Science Writing, and author of The Panic Virus Journalists Haelle and Willingham have made an ambitious but uneven attempt to build a comprehensive As a mom, I can confidently say that The Informed Parent will be a lifesaver for all moms and dads going through the anxiety and excitement of raising a young child. From autism to organic food, the authors demystify modern parents’ most prevalent fears for the first four years, and effectively arm them with a critical thinking cap for years to come. If you’re tired of the mommy (and daddy) wars, or simply need help separating the credible wheat from the misinformation chaff on the internet, look no further." Is it confirmation bias to say that anyone who decides to look at scientific facts instead of hectoring parents is doing the world a service? If so, consider my opinion biased: This book will help a lot of folks!"

Finally, a book that presents the latest scientific research on home birth, breastfeeding, sleep training, vaccines, and other key topics so that parents and parents-to-be can make their own best-informed decisions.Seth Mnookin, Associate Director of MIT's Graduate Program in Science Writing, and author of The Panic Virus The other problem is the authors' confirmation bias. They talk about biases in the book, but they don't seem to follow their own advice. In the first half of the book they have a section where they discuss what they did. You can almost always predict what will be in that section based on the tone of the previous "objective" section. For example, in the bed sharing section, they state, "The majority of published research investigating bed sharing and SIDS (and SUID) risk shows an increased risk of death with bed sharing, but none of the studies finding that association controlled for every other possible risk factor, including prenatal smoking, mother's use of alcohol or drugs (legal or prescription), prenatal smoke exposure, premature or low birth weight, breastfeeding, and others." Well... okay. Guess what the authors did? They both bed shared. Which is fine, but there are other parts of the book where the studies also don't always control for all other possible risk factors for something (because controlling every other variable is generally impossible), and the authors seem happy to accept those studies. Dan Fagin, Director of the Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program at NYU, and Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Toms River: A Story of Science and Salvation Both authors are seasoned veterans in the world of parental and infant research and present the state of knowledge at publication in 2016. The book is wide-ranging, covering pre-conception, pregnancy and birth right through to pre-school. There are detailed examinations of hot topics, such as SIDS, vaccinations, and screen time. Throughout the book, they present the research without pre-judging it. Unfortunately the answer to many questions is “more research needed”, but the known positives and negatives are given along with any caveats. Any anecdotes are clearly signed, and they go to great lengths to point out that each child is different, so averages of meta-analyses should be taken with a pinch of salt. I would skip this book. If you want to read a book looking at science-based parenting information, The Science of Mom: A Research-Based Guide to Your Baby's First Year is a much better book.