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.” 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. 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. 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.

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. 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."

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The Informed Parentis a beacon of science-based sanity for new parents caught in a blizzard of dubious child rearing advice. Tara Haelle and Emily Willingham are sure-handed guides, distilling the most up-to-date, reliable research into sensible advice that neither patronizes nor terrorizes. Circumcision? Television? Nipple confusion? Relax, Tara and Emily have got you covered." The Informed Parent is a beacon of science-based sanity for new parents caught in a blizzard of dubious child rearing advice. Tara Haelle and Emily Willingham are sure-handed guides, distilling the most up-to-date, reliable research into sensible advice that neither patronizes nor terrorizes. Circumcision? Television? Nipple confusion? Relax, Tara and Emily have got you covered." 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. 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. 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.”

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.” 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 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."

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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. 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." Seth Mnookin, Associate Director of MIT's Graduate Program in Science Writing, and author of The Panic Virus About the Book The latest scientific research on home birth, breastfeeding, sleep training, vaccines, and other key topics—to help parents make their own best-informed decisions. 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."