The Science of Mom

A Research-Based Guide to Your Baby's First Year

By: Alice Callahan

Narrated by: Suzanne Toren

It seems like every time a new mother turns on her computer, radio, or television she is greeted with news of yet another scientific study about infancy. Ignoring good information isn't the right course, but just how does one tell the difference between solid studies, preliminary results, and snake oil? In this friendly guide through the science of infancy, Science of Mom blogger and PhD scientist Alice Callahan explains how nonscientist mothers can learn the difference between hype and evidence.

Fans of Alice's blog have come to trust her balanced approach that explains the science that lies behind headlines. The Science of Mom is a fascinating, eye-opening, and extremely informative exploration of the topics that generate discussion and debate in the media and among parents. From breastfeeding to vaccines to sleep, Alice's advice will help you make smart choices so you can relax and enjoy your baby.

©2015 Alice Callahan (P)2017 Tantor

Critic reviews

"[Callahan's] compassion and empathy for the difficulties of parenting shine through in every chapter, from breastfeeding to vaccines to feeding to sleeping." ( Forbes)

best parenting book I've encountered.

Provided evidence based information on relevant parenting topics. offers a fair review of different parenting practices and offers space for individual interpretation.

this is a great book

this is a great book with lot of insights and exact knowledge about the topic.

Would love more parenting books like this

I found the book captivating. Each topic is explained thoroughly, taking into account research for or against each claim. When the science is not clear on the matter, it is clearly stated and the available research presented for the reader to decide.

Science based thinking!

If you are looking for a baby book that is sciences based then this is one of them. Author takes a look at many topics and gives the statistical data as well as discusses if data was bad, cherry picked, or lacking enough data. You can feel confident after reading this one.

Informative and to the point

Really enjoyed this book, gave me a better insight of things to look for, especially in relation to baby feeding and the main items to look for baby development. The author has made her research. Loved it!

not worth your time or money

I didn't enjoy the audible at all. not worth it. I would not recommend it.

Narrator is so bad, couldn't finish first chapter

This is probably the worst narrator I've ever heard on Audible. Grating, pretentious, overly performative. A terrible first impression for a book I hoped would bring real science to everyday people.

The narrator ruined it

I might have enjoyed reading this book, but I couldn't stand listening to it. Make sure you listen to a sample before you buy this.

Author often admits her bias

I was hoping this would be an objective bia free reference for parenting. But it's just as bad as most of the parenting books out there. The author often admits she did X with her daughter, everyone told her that she was a bad parent for doing X, she got defensive and found research that supports her position on X so X isn't that bad. For example, stating that she didn't get enough sleep when her daughter was only sleeping 8.5 hours through the night so she sleep trained her to stay in bed for 12 hours at 6 weeks old. The defensive tone in some of the chapters is ridiculous and makes her arguments seem less rooted in science. It reads like the author just got an unlimited budget to defend her personal parenting philosophy and cherry picks subjects and studies based on how big of a chip she has on her shoulder about that particular subject. There are better books out there than this one. Data Driven Baby is much better at leaving the bias out.

Way too much detail!

This book has way too much detail for things that are standard practice. I don't need to know about every study that's been done on cord cutting. I don't need to know about the history of vitamin k shots. A one page summary with references would have been enough.