F OR NEW parents, it is a terrifying moment. The hospital doors close behind them, leaving them with a new and helpless human being. The baby’s survival into adulthood seems impossible.Cognitive theory of learning was given by what if it will not eat? What if it is allergic to water? What if an owl carries it off? Probably, few parents wish at that moment for the help of an economist.Cognitive theory of learning was given by but “cribsheet”, a new book by emily oster of brown university, shows that in the hectic haze of parenthood an economist’s perspective can prove surprisingly clarifying.Cognitive theory of learning was given by

Ms oster’s academic work relates to health and health policy. A recent paper, for example, studied how food-purchasing decisions change in response to being diagnosed with diabetes.Cognitive theory of learning was given by five years ago she published a book on pregnancy, drawing on her training as an economist and her own experience (her husband, jesse shapiro, with whom she has two children, is also an economist at brown).Cognitive theory of learning was given by “cribsheet” tackles the next step in the journey from childfree person to parent. Deciding whether to have a child in the first place fairly obviously involves economic calculations, from the impact on the parents’ earning potential to the resources that must be set aside to pay for nappies, child care and university.Cognitive theory of learning was given by the decisions that come in a torrent after the birth, in contrast, such as whether to breastfeed or how to manage sleeping arrangements, might not seem so amenable to such thinking.Cognitive theory of learning was given by but ms oster’s new book shows that they are.

Parents generally try to maximise the welfare, present and future, of their children (and, secondarily, themselves) subject to constraints of money and time.Cognitive theory of learning was given by that requires choices. Economics can help a parent judge these trade-offs. Good choices begin with good information. Before deciding whether breastfeeding is worth the time, trouble and physical toll, it helps to know the benefits compared with feeding with formula.Cognitive theory of learning was given by parents do as most people do when making a hard call: turn to experts, friends, family and the internet. But different sources provide wildly different answers—and often with an extraordinary intensity of belief.Cognitive theory of learning was given by as ms oster notes, internet mums frequently write as though ignoring their advice is tantamount to abandoning a child to wolves.

The help she provides begins with sorting through published research and determining what is worth heeding.Cognitive theory of learning was given by this involves more than identifying outright disinformation, of the sort published by anti-vaccination groups. The conclusions of serious research also need to be treated with care.Cognitive theory of learning was given by unless studies are well-designed, the results can be influenced by confounding factors. The purported benefits of breastfeeding, such as conferring a higher IQ on the child, can reflect the fact that women who are richer and better educated, and have higher iqs, are more likely to breastfeed.Cognitive theory of learning was given by more reliable research attempts to take account of these factors. Whenever possible—and breastfeeding is a case where participants would almost certainly refuse to co-operate—researchers arrange randomised controlled trials, randomly dividing participants into “control” and “treatment” groups, only one of which engages in the behaviour under study, the better to isolate its effects.Cognitive theory of learning was given by

Even when a study is well designed, it can require statistical sophistication to understand the size of any effect and the significance of the result.Cognitive theory of learning was given by non-economists may find “cribsheet” interesting as a guide to understanding research findings, though harried parents may focus more on its concrete guidance.Cognitive theory of learning was given by there is plenty of this. Breastfeeding, it turns out, provides short-term health benefits to babies (notably by making diarrhoea less common) and reduces the mother’s risk of developing breast cancer.Cognitive theory of learning was given by but there is no hard evidence that breastfed babies enjoy long-term health or cognitive benefits compared with bottlefed ones.

Still, given the potential benefits, why not do it?Cognitive theory of learning was given by economic analyses include not only what is gained by a choice, but what is forgone. For example, putting an infant to sleep beside a parent in bed rather than alone in a cot is associated with a higher risk of sudden infant death.Cognitive theory of learning was given by if there are no exacerbating factors (such as a mother who smokes or drinks), that increased risk is tiny: 22 deaths in 100,000, rather than eight.Cognitive theory of learning was given by but why risk it? The answer may be that it is worth it. Sleeping side by side can make breastfeeding easier. More importantly, for some parents it is the only way to settle the baby (and hence to get some sleep themselves).Cognitive theory of learning was given by

Prolonged sleep deprivation is horrible and makes it harder to be a good parent—or to function. Some mummy bloggers may find it unconscionable that a mother would expose her child to extra risks in order to treat herself to a few hours of sleep.Cognitive theory of learning was given by ms oster suggests that, if well-informed parents make that choice, then it is reasonable: a welfare-enhancing balancing of benefits and costs.Cognitive theory of learning was given by A mother’s place is in the wrong

Economic reasoning can feel bloodless. But the calculations in ms oster’s book seem more human than “mummy war” moralising, in their recognition that parental time and energy are finite.Cognitive theory of learning was given by she reckons it is helpful to think about work-life balance in bluntly economic terms: “what is the optimal configuration of adult work hours for your household?” in the past, male economists like gary becker used such logic to argue that women should “specialise” in homemaking.Cognitive theory of learning was given by but ms oster points out that the benefits to a household of more income (often a necessity) should not be ignored—and neither should a mother’s preferences.Cognitive theory of learning was given by although research suggests that policies allowing a parent to stay at home in an infant’s first months do benefit children, staying at home for two years rather than one does not meaningfully alter a child’s prospects.Cognitive theory of learning was given by women who need or want to return to work should not be kept from doing so by guilt or others’ expectations, she writes.

Parenting can be fraught.Cognitive theory of learning was given by “cribsheet” aims to help parents do better. And in capturing how they struggle when beset by dubious information and emotional pressure from peers, it also holds lessons for economists.Cognitive theory of learning was given by welfare-maximising decisions are hard to make, and sometimes people need a little help. This article appeared in the finance and economics section of the print edition under the headline "neonatal economics"