Informed is Best: How to spot fake news about your pregnancy, birth and baby

by Amy Brown, Sara Wickham (Foreword)

From the moment you share the news that you are pregnant or have a new baby it feels like everyone becomes an expert. Did you see that headline? Did you hear that story on TV? Have you heard the latest about what they say is best?

In a world overflowing with information telling you what is best for you and your baby, making decisions can feel overwhelming. Who do you trust? Who is telling the truth? And how do you know if what they are saying is right for you? How? By becoming your own expert in sorting the media spin and politics from the actual facts and data.

This isn't a book that is going to tell you which decisions to make, or that there is ever one right answer. It is not going to tell you that the same thing is always best for everyone. Instead this is a guide to help you evaluate information and evidence to decide what is right for you, your body and your baby.

In three main parts it will firstly open your eyes to how information is shared in the media and how this can affect our thinking and decision making. Next it will help you spot who is funding, leading and promoting research and how this can affect the content of what is shared.

Finally it will talk you through reading, understanding and evaluating evidence for yourself across topics in pregnancy, birth and caring for babies. You'll learn how to spot weaknesses in methods used, how to determine the real risk for you and your baby, and how wider context and other factors can influence what research means for you.

Information is power. Making your own decisions that are right for you is empowering. #informedisbest

Genres: Nonfiction

384 pages, Paperback

Published November 7, 2019

Reviews

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn't the book I was expecting to read, but I liked it anyway. I have reread the blurb now and it doesn't say anything but what was actually in the book, so the misunderstanding is on me! I had thought this would cover some of the key blown up media stories around childbirth, like home birth vs hospital birth, breastfeeding vs bottle feeding, vitamin K injections, etc, and just give the 'info behind the headlines'. All these topics were mentioned, but very briefly, as examples. The book is chiefly about how to critique research studies. It's maybe a little optimistic - I think in general, lay people are pretty advanced if they get to reading the abstract of a study for more information, let alone getting to the level of critiquing sampling methods. It's quite similar to Bad Science by Ben Goldacre, if anyone has read that already, you maybe don't need to read Informed is Best completely cover to cover. But it was well-written, easily understood, and made good points about the perils of relying on the media's reporting of studies, for your decision-making.

[Emma Rosen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer - I was kindly sent a copy of this book for review. Thank you!

This is a fantastic book, which, rather than directly giving 'advice', explains how to understand health information and spot when it's being misrepresented. Personally I remember being very frustrated with conflicting advice when I had my children, and so a book that helps you to understand the research behind it all is a great thing.

Informed is Best goes through topics such as how research is done, how to interpret journal articles, the way science is reported and so on. This is not only useful to parents who are becoming frustrated with bombardment with media headlines, but also to students - and not just in disciplines associated with parenting. Anyone who would like to better understand and be critical about research will find this useful.

Clearly written, interesting and something new in parenting literature. A breath of fresh air.

[Heather Rodgers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative book that provides extensive insights into critical thinking and research methods in a parenting / pregnancy context

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an eye opener, so informative

[Joanna Hardy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic as always!

[Harriet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good book for debunking myths, and explains research methods well for someone who isn't well versed in all the lingo used around it as well as statistics vocabulary.