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The Science of Mom: A Research-Based Guide to Your Baby's First Year

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Now updated! The new edition of this best-selling guide uses science to tackle some of the most important decisions facing new parents—from sleep training and vaccinations to breastfeeding and baby food.

Is cosleeping safe? How important is breastfeeding? Are food allergies preventable? Should we be worried about the aluminum in vaccines? Searching for answers to these tough parenting questions can yield a deluge of conflicting advice. In this revised and expanded edition of The Science of Mom, Alice Callahan, a science writer whose work appears in the New York Times and the Washington Post, recognizes that families must make their own decisions and gives parents the tools to evaluate the evidence for themselves. Sharing the latest scientific research on raising healthy babies, she covers topics like the microbiome, attachment, vaccine safety, pacifiers, allergies, increasing breast milk production, and choosing an infant formula.

ISBN-13: 9781421441993

Media Type: Paperback

Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press

Publication Date: 11-23-2021

Pages: 424

Product Dimensions: 6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.88(d)

Age Range: 18 Years

Alice Callahan holds a PhD in nutritional biology from the University of California, Davis, and spent two years investigating fetal physiology as a postdoctoral scholar. After giving birth to her first child in 2010, she put her scientific training to work answering the big questions of caring for a baby. The creator of the blog Science of Mom: The Heart and Science of Parenting, she writes and teaches in Eugene, Oregon.

What People are Saying About This

Alexis Dubief

Reading The Science of Mom is like having brunch with your best friend who has delved into the science of parenting's thorniest issues, and who then breaks it down for you with warmth and compassion over a nice latte. This is a must-read for parents looking to make evidence-based decisions around feeding, sleep, and vaccinating their child.

Emily Oster

Finally, someone has brought some science—and some sense—to the mommy wars. Should be required reading for all new (and old) parents.

Melinda Wenner Moyer

Alice Callahan has given parents an invaluable resource. She addresses many of the questions new parents have by digging deeply into the science, explaining not just the research but all the context that's essential to interpreting it. Her advice is thoughtful, measured, and clear. I wish I'd been fortunate enough to have The Science of Mom on my bedside table when I transitioned to motherhood.

Jena Pincott

Fascinating! Think of all the controversial, hot-button topics that parents obsess about in a child’s first year—from vaccines and feeding, bed-sharing to sleep training. Weighing the scientific evidence, Callahan offers balanced insights and in-depth answers—a far cry from the oversimplified advice prescribed by many 'parenting experts.' The result: a must-have guide that’s substantive and extremely engaging.

Suzanne Barston

Too many of today's parents treat science as a weapon, using it to justify some choices and condemn others. Yet, most don't fully understand what science can and cannot tell us. By giving parents a comprehensive understanding of how science relates to parenting, Alice Callahan has helped us turn this weapon into a tool for peace. Callahan untangles basic scientific concepts, reveals the realities and limitations of research, and advocates for a measured approach to parenting science that eschews absolutes and acknowledges nuance. The Science of Mom is a rare gem in the parenting canon—smart, sensitive, and a lifesaver for a generation of parents caught in the nebulous spider's web of Internet 'wisdom.'

Tracy Cutchlow

Yes! An easy-to-read, fascinating, nuanced review of the science behind new parents' biggest health questions. Many of these issues—infant sleep, breastfeeding, vaccines—have or will hit your 'Should I panic?' button. With gentle guidance, Alice Callahan puts your fears to rest.

Phil Boucher

Callahan cuts through the confusion, giving parents permission to focus on what matters and enjoy parenthood so much more.

From the Publisher

Alice Callahan has given parents an invaluable resource. She addresses many of the questions new parents have by digging deeply into the science, explaining not just the research but all the context that's essential to interpreting it. Her advice is thoughtful, measured, and clear. I wish I'd been fortunate enough to have The Science of Mom on my bedside table when I transitioned to motherhood.
—Melinda Wenner Moyer, author of How to Raise Kids Who Aren't Assholes

Reading The Science of Mom is like having brunch with your best friend who has delved into the science of parenting's thorniest issues, and who then breaks it down for you with warmth and compassion over a nice latte. This is a must-read for parents looking to make evidence-based decisions around feeding, sleep, and vaccinating their child.
—Alexis Dubief, author of Precious Little Sleep

Callahan cuts through the confusion, giving parents permission to focus on what matters and enjoy parenthood so much more.
—Phil Boucher, MD, FAAP

The Science of Mom is everything a parent needs during that critical and exhausting first year: a voice of reason that's easily browsable and always grounded in science.
—Tara Haelle, coauthor of The Informed Parent: A Science-Based Resource for Your Child's First Four Years

Paul A. Offit

Alice Callahan has written a breakthrough book, combining the compassion, warmth, and angst of a mother with the measured reasoning of a scientist. She helps parents not only understand how science works, but how they can access that science to answer their questions. She's found a way to access the scientist in all of us.

Tara Haelle

The Science of Mom is everything a parent needs during that critical and exhausting first year: a voice of reason that's easily browsable and always grounded in science.

Wendy Sue Swanson

Families routinely search for health information. The Science of Mom makes it easy collecting evidence for health decisions and putting it into perspective with a mom-to-mom connection. Callahan's advice is thoughtful, backed by science and feels fueled of love. She is willing to provide powerful advice when detailing the science and safety of vaccines. Keep this book in arm's reach as you support your infant for calm and direction.

Table of Contents

Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1. Show Me the Science: A Crash Course in Evidence-Based Parenting
2. Birth Day, First Day: Easing Your Newborn's Transition into the World
3. Of Injections and Eye Goop: Newborn Medical Procedures
4. Getting to Know You: How Newbos Explore, Communicate, and Connect
5. Vaccines and Your Child: Making Science-Based Decisions
6. Sleep Safely, Sleep Sweetly: Safety at Night and the Bed Sharing Debate
7. In Search of a Good Night's Sleep (Or Something Like It)
8. Milk and Motherhood: Breast Milk, Formula, and Feeding in the Real World
9. Getting Started with Solid Foods: When and How to Begin
10. Eat, Grow, and Learn: The Best Foods for Babies
Epilogue
Appendixes
Notes
Index