The Informed Parent

A Science-Based Resource for Your Child’s First Four Years

By: Tara Haelle, Emily Willingham PhD

Narrated by: Pam Ward

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 those 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.

©2016 Emily Jane Willingham and Tara Haelle (P)2017 Tantor

Critic reviews

"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." ( Publishers Weekly)

Too deep in the weeds

Some of the topics I felt like the author went on and on with different scientific studies, and it was difficult to get useful parenting advise from it.

Great Scientific Resource

I really enjoyed this book, it presented the data in ways new Mom’s could understand. Definitely recommend this book for any parent who wants to be informed about the scientific data out there.

detailed and we'll rounded

some might say it's to much for them, but I really enjoyed this book and appreciated the reader to! I loved looking up the studies and being directed to come to my own conclusions. I bought the physical book used and then also listened to it on audible and went back and used the physical book to help me find the studies and what not.

Doesn't tell you anything

There is a significant lack of sources in this book, and it does not come to any solid, reaffirming or mind-changing conclusions. Summing up the chapter with "who knows?" is unsettling, especially when this book claims to be scientific. In each chapter, it presents a few random conflicting opinions and then doesn't provide much to help you decide which direction to take. I could get better information from a Mom discussion forum...

Dull and over whelming

This book would be better as a text resource you can skim. The topics are all over the place and there needs to be a pdf resource to review with it. Since no chapters are named you cannot skip to what you want to learn about. Narritor is dull