As a parent, you face numerous decisions about your child’s well-being from their birth. With so many conflicting opinions and advice, it can be challenging to navigate the function of parenting.

The internet can be a source of confusion rather than help, and the advice of so-called experts can often be contradictory. However, by relying on research-based information, you can make informed decisions about common issues that arise during the early years of parenting.

Solid and dependable research involves studying the impact of a single factor while keeping all other variables unchanged. Randomized controlled trials make comparisons between a "treatment" group and a "control" group. Observational studies, on the other hand, compare different groups without controlling for all variables. Case-control studies collect data from a specific group, like children who learn to read early, to understand what factors contribute to that behavior. In general, these studies are considered less reliable than others.

Anecdotal evidence consists of individual experiences or statements, like when people say, "My friend breastfed her six kids, and they all went to Harvard!" It's important to remember, as statisticians often point out, that "anecdote is not data."