The Informed Parent: A Science-Based Resource for Your Child's First Four Years

Product Information

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." Subscription is on an annual basis with 3 newsletters per year to provide a wide range of information on the vaccination issue. 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!" 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.”

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. Yoni Freedhoff, MD, Assistant Professor, Family Medicine, University of Ottawa and creator of the Weighty Matters blog The latest scientific research on home birth, breastfeeding, sleep training, vaccines, and other key topics—to help parents make their own best-informed decisions.Much of what's covered may already be well known to a moderately informed parents. E.g., you're probably already vaccinating your child. So the discussion on that topic probably won't directly change how you parent, but can be helpful when talking with nimwi... er, people not sure if they're going to vaccinate. 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.

There were some chapters that did help us directly. Specifically the chapter on co-sleeping helped us make an informed decision on how to approach the matter with our second child. Likewise for our toddler, reading out disciplining, preschooling and the like was helpful. 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.” It is essential that more of the general public become informed as the threat of mandatory vaccine laws are upon us presently! In many parts of Europe, US and Australia some parents are facing either mandatory laws, fines and/or enormous pressure and penalties regarding child benefits if they refuse vaccination for their families. Most parenting books present a philosophy what the author believes readers should do to raise happy, healthy kids. But more and more parents and parents-to-be prefer to make up their own minds, based on the latest findings as well as their own preferences. Science writers and parents themselves, Tara Haelle and Emily Willingham have sifted through research studies on dozens of essential topics, and distill them in this essential and engaging book. Entries include: 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 SalvationAs 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." 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.” 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.

Alice Callahan, PhD, author of The Science of Mom: A Research-Based Guide to Your Baby’s First Year 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.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." The book shines with clear explanations of the reasoning behind common hospital practices such as labor induction, vitamin K shots, and taking Apgar scores, including up-to-date summaries of the sometimes overwhelming-data surrounding giving birth and infant care choices. Subjects of controversy, such as allergies and sleep training, receive in-depth, scientifically minded treatment." This was very disappointing. I was hoping for something more like Expecting Better, which was a fairly reasonable look at the evidence that does and doesn't exist, but tempered with some general skepticism and at its heart an understanding about the trade-offs that exist. This book is more like a mostly naive summary of the current literature, but it completely ignores the replication crisis. Reading Rigor Mortis will, I hope, give you a lot more skepticism about just believing whatever the extant studies say, since a huge fraction of them are effectively worthless, unfortunately. Not once is it mentioned whether any of the trials mentioned here were pre-registered or that that might be an issue. In The Informed Parent, Emily Willingham and Tara Haelle, two widely respected science writers (and parents), explore key questions about child health, beginning with fetal development and continuing into toddlerhood. The result is engaging, conversational, deeply researched, and smart, a book that should be considered a necessary resource for all 21st century parents." The Informed Parent was originally set up in September 1992 to counter frustration and isolation experienced by parents in their efforts to seek information about immunisation, following uncertainty about its safety and effectiveness.

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't I wish they would present more data directly from the reports. The analysis is useful, but I always feel more confident in an analysis when I can see the data myself.The book shines with clear explanations of the reasoning behind common hospital practices such as labor induction, vitamin K shots, and taking Apgar scores, including up-to-date summaries of the sometimes overwhelming-data surrounding giving birth and infant care choices. Subjects of controversy, such as allergies and sleep training, receive in-depth, scientifically minded treatment.” 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. Seth Mnookin, Associate Director ofMIT’s Graduate Program in Science Writing, and author of The Panic Virus 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.