Episode 72: Parenting (Part 1)

Episode 72: Parenting (Part 1)

Author: Tom Chivers and Stuart Ritchie May 6, 2025 Duration: 1:17:52
Science Fictions
ScienceTechnology

The Studies Show LIVE (with special guest Jesse Singal) is this week! Friday 9 May, Conway Hall, London, 8pm. Get your tickets AT THIS LINK or at bit.ly/tss_live.

Welcome to a new series of The Studies Show, all about parenting. We’ll cover the weird claims, fads, and controversies about how you should raise your kids.

In this first episode, which focuses on infancy, we cover some feeding-related topics (an update on breastfeeding, the question of sterilising baby bottles, and the idea of baby-led weaning) as well as “tummy time” and sleep training. Are any of these good for your baby? Are any of them bad? Tom and Stuart look through the evidence.

Let us know which parenting-related claims you want us to look into as the series continues!

The Studies Show is brought to you by Works in Progress magazine. In their recent issue you can find out about surprising policy screwups, the latest fertility techology, the history of the pineapple, and why all that steam comes out from the roads in New York City. It’s all available for free at worksinprogress.co.

Show notes

* Breasfeeding:

* 2024 meta-analysis of health effects of breastfeeding

* 2024 study from Uganda on “topping up” breastfeeding with formula milk

* Bottle sterilising:

* UK NHS advice on bottle sterilisation

* Advice from other countries/states: Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Alberta (Canada), Israel, Norway, Sweden, US CDC, Texas Children’s Hospital, France

* Lab research on germs passing from hands to bottles

* 2006 observational study on health and sterilising bottles

* Baby-led weaning

* 2017 review and discussion of the history of baby-led weaning

* 2023 Turkish randomised control trial

* 2017 report from the NZ “BLISS” study

* 2022 French Academy of Paediatrics statement on baby-led weaning

* Tummy time

* UK NHS advice on tummy time

* 2023 protocol for a randomised trial

* Very low-quality Indonesian study on tummy time

* Sleep training

* Weird 2012 “cortisol synchrony” study

* Debate about the measurement of cortisol

* 2020 study claiming no effects of sleep training on attachment; response 1; reply from the authors; response 2

* Emily Oster’s ParentData piece on sleep training

Credits

The Studies Show is produced by Julian Mayers at Yada Yada Productions.



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sciencefictionspod.substack.com/subscribe

Every week, Tom Chivers and Stuart Ritchie pull apart the biggest arguments and most confusing claims making headlines. Science Fictions isn't just about celebrating breakthroughs; it's a necessary dive into the messy, contested, and often surprising realities of how science actually works. You'll hear them unpack heated debates, examine questionable studies, and explore why even solid research can sometimes lead to public confusion. This podcast serves as a guide through the noise, separating compelling evidence from overblown narratives. Each episode feels like a conversation with two deeply informed friends who aren't afraid to ask tough questions, offering clarity on topics that matter. For anyone curious about the stories behind the science headlines, this is an essential listen. Tune in for thoughtful analysis that goes beyond the press release, grounded in a genuine fascination with how we know what we know.
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