The Informed Parent

January 18, 2016
Journalists Haelle and Willingham have made an ambitious but uneven attempt to build a comprehensive
evidence-based resource for new parents. 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. The results will please information junkies who like to think their choices through rationally and comfort those who want justification for currently unpopular choices—such as for bottle-feeding over breastfeeding. Nevertheless, this guidebook overstates its lack of bias and its scope–the vast majority of topics covered fall between the prenatal period and the first few months of life—and suffers from poor, confusing organization and a lack of bottom-line summaries. The lack of footnotes and paucity of primary references, combined with a “what we did” section at the end of many of the discussions, contradicts the explicit message that parents should educate themselves. Instead, it conveys an implicit attitude that the authors should be trusted as research-savvy experts and smart parents rather than as data consolidators.

February 15, 2016
The latest scientific findings on child-rearing from pregnancy through toddlerhood.As Haelle (Seasons, Tides and Lunar Phases, 2016, etc.) and Willingham (The Complete Idiot's Guide to College Biology, 2010, etc.) point out in their introduction, the book does not provide advice on child care. Instead, the authors gather the latest science on a variety of issues, letting parents make their own decisions after learning what the most recent research indicates about various stages of child care. Beginning with the months and days before pregnancy has even occurred, the authors discuss the need for prenatal vitamins, weight gain of the mother and fetus, medical screenings during pregnancy, whether certain foods can affect the fetus, and how to choose the best person to assist the mother during labor. Then they move rapidly into the labor and delivery room, providing extensive information on the pros and cons of circumcision, breast-feeding vs. formula feeding, vaccines, and cloth vs. disposable diapers. Not only do they point out what is best for the infant, they also analyze the emotional ups and downs a new mother may experience, including postpartum depression, sleep deprivation, and the inability to bond with the infant. Moving beyond infancy, they discuss trips to the dentist, solid foods and food allergies, potty training, letting children use technology, air and water pollution, preschool, and a host of other pertinent topics. About 90 percent of the book centers on scientific data, but Haelle and Willingham also offer readers glimpses into their personal lives and the things they did or didn't do for their children during these first four years, which adds a more personal touch to this already accessible and informative book. For anyone headed into parenthood, this is a must-read, as it answers so many questions new parents are bound to ask. Easy-to-read, up-to-date information on the latest research into pregnancy, childbirth, and early childhood.

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