On Becoming Baby Wise
On Becoming Baby Wise: Giving Your Infant the Gift of Nighttime Sleep is a controversial book by evangelical Christian adviser Gary Ezzo and conservative Christian pediatrician Robert Bucknam about raising an infant. Formerly published by Multnomah Books, Baby Wise is currently self-published through Ezzo's own publishing company, Parent-Wise Solutions; approximately 250,000 copies have been sold. The book grew out of a church-based parenting book written by Ezzo and his wife as they raised two children.
Baby Wise presents an infant care program which the authors say will cause babies to sleep through the night beginning between seven and nine weeks of age. It emphasizes parental control of the infant's sleep, play and feeding schedule rather than allowing the baby to decide when to eat, play and sleep.
The Baby Wise program outlined in the book has come under criticism from a number of pediatricians and parents who are concerned that an infant reared using the book's advice will be at higher risk of failure to thrive, malnutrition, and emotional disorders.
Famous quotes containing the words baby and/or wise:
“A baby nurse is one that changes diapers and loves ‘em dearly. Get up at all hours of the night to give ‘em the bottle and change their pants. If the baby coughs or cries, you have to find out the need. I had my own room usually, but I slept in the same room with the baby. I would take full charge. It was twenty-four hours. I used to have one day a week off and I’d go home and see my own two little ones.”
—Ruth Lindstrom (c. 1892–?)
“To think to be wise alone is a very great folly.”
—François, Duc De La Rochefoucauld (1613–1680)