Emily Oster
- CEO, Founder, and Author, ParentData
- Host, Wellness, Actually with Emily Oster & Perry Wilson, MD
Providence
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Articles by Emily Oster
Actually, You’re Fine: A Compassionate, Practical Guide to Maximizing Your Child’s Potential in the Age of Anxiety
As parents, we want nothing more than our child to thrive in each stage of development. Seeing them struggle in that process can be difficult, but sometimes, it’s normal. After years of research, Dr. Davis suggests that a diagnosis isn’t always the answer to helping our kids keep up with the curve. Actually, You’re Fine is a compassionate guide to childhood development that reveals anxiety is natural when it comes to tracking your child’s development.
The Latest: Checking in with America’s teens
Headline of the Week Since the pandemic, parents, teachers, and policymakers have been rightfully worried about the mental health of teens. A combination of lockdowns, missed school, too much phone time, and not enough independence led to a feeling — backed by strong data — that teen mental health was spiraling downward. This week, though, we got some good news, which is worth highlighting in a discussion that is frequently bleak.
Těhotenství bez strašáků - Emily Oster
O knize Těhotenství bez strašáků „Tato kniha přináší nastávajícím maminkám obrovské uklidnění!“ —Harvey Karp, M.D., autor proslulé řady výchovných knih Nejšťastnější miminko v okolí, Nejšťastnější batole v okolí atd. „Konečně se našel někdo tak moudrý jako Emily Oster a proklestil se houštinou zákazů, úzkostlivostí a zakořeněných názorů a předložil nám fakta. Tato kniha je velmi poučná a uklidňující kniha.
The Latest: Stay-at-home parents. Working parents. One subsidy.
Headline of the Week Last week, we learned that Vice President JD Vance is proposing a policy that provides subsidies to married couples where one parent stays home to care for the kids. The funding would come from a program that currently helps pay for child care for low-income families — most of them with a single working parent. The motivation for this change is obvious: to encourage more families to have a stay-at-home parent, and to reward marriage.
The Latest: Are your kids’ snacks full of chemicals?
Headline of the Week Last week, Consumer Reports put out a report on chemicals in snack foods. On social media, they specifically called out the phthalates in Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies, a snack that many of your children (and mine) eat. This is part of a broader set of testing Consumer Reports has been doing about contaminants in food. The argument behind all of these reports is that the levels of some substance – here, a bunch of different chemicals – are close to or higher than some reference dose.
Raising children in the MAHA era: Where have all the healthy kids gone?
There have been massive changes in children’s health—both physical and mental—over the last generation. In this episode of No More Sidewalks: Parenting Today, CEO of ParentData and Brown University economist Emily Oster joins host Abby McCloskey to discuss what new factors could be driving these shifts, as well as what can be done at the household and government levels to improve the health of children. Abby M. McCloskey is a columnist for Bloomberg Opinion and the Dallas Morning News.
How to Improve Your Immunity With Young Kids
Young children, especially in child care, pre-K, and the early school years, are frequently sick. Which means their parents are also frequently sick. Even though we had those same illnesses when we were children, it’s been so long that our immunity has waned, and we get sick again. If you’re facing down a season (or two, or six) of illness, you’re likely looking for something — anything — to improve your immunity.
Dinner, Planned: 5 Minutes to Less Mental Load
For many years, I sat down at the end of the week to plan the next week’s dinners, and got frustrated. I was trying to have variety (but not too much!), to make sure I thought about who was home on which day, to use up the random leftover beans that we somehow always had. Surely, I thought over and over again, there is a better way to do this. But I never found the right program or app to deliver what I wanted: something simple, but customizable.
Everyone Is Talking About Male Testosterone
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth recently announced his plans to screen U.S. troops for low testosterone. Anyone with low levels — including women — would have the option to pursue hormone therapy. While the details are unclear, this lines up with an increasingly common concern: testosterone is in crisis, and a lot of people need to supplement.
Are Peanut Allergies Going Away?
Between 1997 and 2008, peanut allergy rates in children in the U.S. increased threefold — from about 0.4% to 1.4% of children. Other allergies, like tree nuts, also became more common. These kinds of food allergies are incredibly difficult for families to manage. A serious peanut allergy can make even an accidental ingestion life-threatening. Many schools and child care centers went completely nut-free to avoid any possible risk.
How worried should you be about eating lettuce?
In a summer already characterized by extreme heat and a surplus of ticks, we didn’t need an outbreak of a nightmare stomach bug. But here we are, with the highest ever count of cyclosporiasis cases in a season. It’s an illness caused by consuming the eggs of the microscopic Cyclospora parasite, usually as a result of contaminated produce or water. This surge in cases has gotten a lot of attention, in part because infection with the parasite causes terrible bouts of diarrhea.
¿Qué tanto debería preocuparte comer lechuga?
You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load. ¿Qué tanto debería preocuparte comer lechuga? 16 de julio de 2026 a las 13:01 ET Credit...Thomas Nondh Jansen/Connected Archives Oster es la fundadora y directora ejecutiva de ParentData, una plataforma de información que ayuda a los padres a reflexionar sobre diversos riesgos.
How Freaked Out Should You Be About the Nightmare Stomach Bug? Original
You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load. How Freaked Out Should You Be About the Nightmare Stomach Bug? July 15, 2026, 1:29 p.m. ET Credit...Thomas Nondh Jansen/Connected Archives Dr. Oster is the founder and chief executive of ParentData, an information platform that helps parents think about risk.
What “Trimester Zero” Should Teach Us Instead
If you see reels from fertility influencers (and who doesn’t?), you may have heard about “Trimester Zero.” This phrase has become code for the idea of preparing to prepare to be pregnant. It’s all about figuring out how to optimize your health before you even start trying to conceive. As with much of online wellness culture, this area can be deeply predatory. It targets people who are anxious about their chances of pregnancy and who want to do their best for their future children.
What the Data Says About Preschool and Pre-K
If you have a child in day care, you may notice a shift around age 3: kindergarten starts to feel closer, and your kid’s care environment begins to look a little more like “school”. In many cases, this means a move into a preschool classroom. The naming and timing vary by location, but generally preschool covers ages 3 to 4, and pre-K covers ages 4 to 5, right before kindergarten.
How to Choose a School for Your Child
Of the big decisions we make about our school-age children, perhaps none looms larger than school. Your child will spend eight hours a day there for about nine months of the year. That’s a lot of time! Their teachers and peers will shape them, for good or ill. All of this makes these school decisions seem incredibly important to many parents.
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There Have Been Two Botulism Outbreaks in Infant Formula. Why?
Within the last year, two brands of formula — ByHeart and Nara Organics — have recalled all of their products due to outbreaks of infant botulism. This has, understandably, left parents confused and afraid. Fortunately, no babies have died, but some have become seriously ill. I’ve written about what parents can do immediately, including symptoms of infant botulism and what to do if your child was exposed to these formulas.
Your Dad Friends Aren’t Optional
When our family moved to Barcelona, the only person I knew there was a single friend of a friend. I was also working from home and didn’t have anyone in my new life that I considered a friend, aside from my wife. Four months later, my son was born. Looking back, I can see a clear link between my feelings of loneliness and my paternal postpartum depression. Yes, I had friends elsewhere, and yes, once I opened up and shared that I was struggling, they were a huge support.
Nara Organics Has Recalled All Of Its Infant Formula
The CDC and FDA are investigating a multi-state outbreak of infantile botulism that may be connected to the consumption of Nara Organics Whole Milk Organic Infant Formula. The investigation is ongoing. Three babies in California, Pennsylvania, and Washington were hospitalized after consuming the formula, and no deaths have been reported. Nara Organics has recalled all Nara Organics Whole Milk Organic Powdered Infant Formula.
Are Day Care Naps Ruining Bedtime? Here’s What To Do.
“Day care naps are ruining my life.” This is a phrase I’ve heard twice recently from people that I work with. Both of them have older children — ages 3 to 5 — who no longer nap at home. They complain that their daytime nap at day care makes bedtime a nightmare. Despite their efforts, they haven’t been able to get their child care providers on board with any changes. “Can you give us some data?” they asked me.
Does My Newborn Need Treatment for Jaundice?
What is the data on newborn jaundice? What are the best treatments? My baby boy just started showing signs a few days after birth, and I’m so worried it will get worse. — Worried FTM First of all, I offer you empathy. When my younger child was 2 days old, we got a call saying he had jaundice and we had to come back to the hospital immediately or he was at serious risk. This turned out to be a dramatic overstatement of the situation in our case, but I can still recall that panic.
Home Births Are on the Rise
Over the last several months, it feels like I’m hearing about “free birth” everywhere I turn. If you aren’t familiar, a “free birth” is when you give birth without any medical care, often following a “wild pregnancy” with no prenatal care. The Guardian did a big story on it, followed by the New York Times, and, of course, it was covered in “The Pitt” (great show, or greatest show?).
How Much Caffeine Is Safe During Pregnancy?
I love coffee. Before my first pregnancy, I was easily at three to four cups a day — one with breakfast, one for a mid-morning break, maybe one in the early afternoon. So when I found out I was pregnant, the coffee question was not abstract. It was urgent. I had a caffeine withdrawal headache coming on, I was about to sit through a day of conference talks, and I needed to know: could I have a cup or not? The official guidance I found was all over the place.
Masculinism and Feminism | Interview: Helen Lewis
Jonah Goldberg is infamous for throwing around his feminist credentials, but today he comes face-to-face with the real deal. Helen Lewis joins the show to put an end Jonah’s performative feminism and to talk about the feminization thesis, Doug Wilson, Christopher Hitchens, right-wing women, based rituals, shibboleths, feminist rhetoric, weird Oregon cheese, protests as carnival, Handmaid’s Tale cosplay, abortion, institutional drift, male/female differences, and parenthood.
The Benefits of a Later School Bell
Banning phones in schools may not be as effective in boosting school performance as simply letting kids sleep longer. Illustration by Noah Hickey/The Dispatch (Photo via Getty Images). Illustration by Noah Hickey/The Dispatch (Photo via Getty Images). Turn any article into a podcast. Upgrade now to start listening. Members can share articles with friends & family to bypass the paywall. New data released this month showed consistent declines in student test scores in the U.S. over the past 13 years.
A Popular Drug for Male Hair Loss Can Impact Pregnancy
When it comes to aging, one of the big concerns for men is hair loss. Apparently, a thick head of hair for men is the equivalent of a wrinkle-free face for women (not necessary for health, but important to some!). For many years, there were limited good options for treating hair loss. However, more recently, there’s been a rapid rise in the number of men taking finasteride — a medication for hair growth.
Opinion: It’s still demoralizing to teach a classroom of scrolling students
In the past several years, about three dozen states have instituted phone bans in schools, and more are likely to follow. These bans have been trumpeted as game changers. Anecdotal reporting points to more books being checked out from school libraries and more students engaging with one another in the hallway. “How the Phone Ban Saved High School,” reads one headline.
How to Fix Your Child’s Sleep Issues (It Won’t Happen Overnight)
There is no question that one of the biggest problems parents face is getting their kids to sleep. It’s one of the parenting issues that straddles all ages — newborns, babies, toddlers, kids, and teens. I assume I will still be thinking about my children’s sleep when they are out of the house. Toddler and young child sleep, in particular, is hugely challenging.
We Expected Too Much From School Phone Bans Original
We Expected Too Much From School Phone Bans May 7, 2026, 11:00 a.m. ET Credit...Damon Winter/The New York Times Dr. Oster is the founder and chief executive of ParentData and a professor of economics at Brown University. In the past several years, about three dozen states have instituted phone bans in schools, and more are likely to follow. These bans have been trumpeted as game changers.
New Data on Phone Bans Is … Underwhelming
Several weeks ago, I wrote in ParentData about a paper arguing that phones were responsible for global test score declines. I thought the methods and conclusions in the paper were weak. In that post, I suggested we would soon learn more about the actual impacts of phone bans in schools, since they have become far more common. It didn’t take as long as I thought — this week, a new working paper dives deep into this question with a lot of data and a solid methodology.
I Drank Broccoli Juice. Here’s What I Learned About Placebos.
Recently, before a long run, I consumed a shot of broccoli sprout juice. I did this because my friend Shana told me that all the Norwegian cross-country skiers use it and that when she tried it on a run she felt “weightless.” I did not feel weightless; I felt like garbage. But when I complained to Shana about this later, she told me that maybe the problem was that I just didn’t believe in the broccoli juice enough. She’s probably right.
What to Know About Continuous vs. Intermittent Fetal Monitoring in Labor
During labor, your baby’s heart rate will be monitored throughout to ensure they aren’t in any distress. In the U.S., it’s extremely common to have continuous fetal monitoring — that is, a continuous record of the baby’s heart rate and your uterine contractions. This is usually done by placing elastic bands around the belly with electric sensors.
Can You Prevent Shoulder Dystocia?
What’s the data on shoulder dystocia? My midwife is recommending that I consider being induced early because of the risk that the baby is big, which could lead to shoulder dystocia. Any advice? — Caroline In a typical vaginal delivery, the baby’s head is delivered first, and then the shoulders and the rest of the baby come out fairly easily. However, in some cases, the baby’s shoulder can be caught on the mom’s pubic bone or (less commonly) on the sacrum.
What’s the Data on Delayed Cord Clamping?
I’m starting to make a birth plan, and have read about delayed cord clamping. Is it really necessary? What are the benefits, and how long should you wait? — Anonymous Short answer: very likely yes. But let’s go to the data to see why. When my first child was born in 2011, delayed cord clamping was just starting to be discussed. It was more the purview of “natural birth” websites and something my doula mentioned once or twice.
Risks, Benefits, & How to Prepare
In many ways, a vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) is just like any other vaginal birth: your labor begins spontaneously or is induced, you progress to complete dilation, you push, and a baby is born. In other ways, a VBAC is incredibly special. As a midwife, I’ve found that mothers who thoughtfully weigh the risks and benefits and choose to pursue a VBAC — despite the uncertainty — often experience their vaginal birth as deeply redemptive, meaningful, and empowering.
Is the Vitamin K Shot Necessary for Newborns?
Is it really necessary for newborns to get the vitamin K shot? I’m going to have my first baby soon, so I’ve been reading up on vaccines and other things to expect, and it seems like there’s some debate around the shot. Why is that? — Anonymous For decades, it has been standard to give newborns a vitamin K shot at birth. The aim is to prevent a potentially fatal bleeding disorder.
Is a Frozen or Fresh Embryo Transfer Better?
Are success rates different for frozen transfers vs. fresh transfers? – Anonymous Most studies show higher success rates of frozen embryo transfers over fresh transfers. Much of the advantage is due to improved embryo selection with pre-implantation genetic testing and optimizing the uterine environment prior to an embryo transfer. Increasing success rates translate to what we see in practice.
Why Kids Lie (And What to Do About It)
When my son was about 2.5 years old, he had just recently started using the toilet alone. I was nearby, listening intently for every step. I heard the flush, but I never heard the faucet. When he stepped out, I asked him, “Did you wash your hands?” He paused, looked at me with his big brown eyes, then nodded. But I knew he hadn’t. He was not intentionally trying to deceive me.
Let’s Try “Deliberate Parenting” Instead
In the parenting zeitgeist, over the past few months, I’ve been seeing something new creeping in: the general sense that parenting has become too hard, that we are doing too much, that it shouldn’t be such a slog. Parenting is burning us out. Sometimes this is framed as a pushback against “intensive parenting” and “gentle parenting.” Neither of these concepts is well-defined, but both require parents to invest a good deal of time and attention to set their children up for long-term success.
Did Smartphones Cause Global Test Score Declines?
In October 2025, a new paper was released in the Journal of Adolescence arguing that increases in smartphone usage globally may contribute not only to mental health issues in teens, but also to global declines in test scores in math, reading, and science. The paper has gotten a reasonable amount of attention online in the last few weeks. Jon Haidt’s Instagram post of the key graph has 13,000 likes and almost 10,000 shares.
What Is Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome?
I’ve read about ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, but how common is it really? Is this something to worry about? —Julie Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome ( OHSS) is a rare, but potentially serious complication of in vitro fertilization. The risk is highest after stimulation and retrieval (so within the first week following your retrieval). The primary issue with OHSS is that fluid (plasma) shifts from the vascular system (your arteries and veins) into your abdomen and pelvis.
Why Is Sleep So Important?
All animals sleep or have a sleep-like resting state. This includes those who live in the ocean — dolphins sleep half their brain at a time. This fact suggests that sleep must be extremely important, since it seems otherwise very maladapted. No time are we more vulnerable than when we are sleeping (it’s a perfect time to be eaten by a sabertooth tiger!), so we must be getting something out of it. Interestingly, researchers don’t know why, exactly, sleep is so important.
Should You Have Another Child?
Here is a question I get asked constantly, in various forms: Should I have another child? Or, once that decision is tentatively made, how long should I wait? These are deeply personal questions, but I understand the impulse to look for data. If there’s a right answer buried somewhere in the research, we want to find it. So let me do you the favor of being upfront: the data will not make this decision for you.
What Is Going on With Vaccines?
My primary goal with ParentData is to provide you with the background and context for news and decisions. These days, that often means unpacking the news and announcements coming out of the CDC and the Department of Health under Robert F. Kennedy Jr. And nothing has been more confusing in my view than the situation with childhood vaccines. Things got even more chaotic when a judge recently overturned many of the changes that RFK Jr has made. But what does that pushback even mean?
This is a test article. It’s about nothing and everything at the same time. It’s so great because we’re so great. This is our first section and sometimes they have graphs and visuals. Let’s try them out, shall we? Here’s a graph: And here’s a visual: I also want to try out some bulleted things with lots of links: Hello This is a Bulleted list And let’s try out some numbered lists too, because why not? Hello This is a Numbered list We write bottom lines Yes we do We write bottom lines How about you?
Muscle Loss & Can You Stop?
GLP-1s are everywhere; everyone is talking about them. The other day, my father emailed to ask whether they are bad for your tendons — he’s not on these medications, nor does he have any tendon issues. GLP-1s are just … universal. And with that, there are questions. Many of you — especially if you are thinking about taking or are on these drugs — are likely familiar with the top-line impacts on weight loss. But at this point, I get many more specific questions: Do the drugs work for other conditions?
This is a story in three graphs. The first graph below shows the rate of labor force participation — that’s the share of people in the group who are working or looking for work — among women with children under 5, over time since 2000. For comparison, the graph also shows women without children. The second graph shows the share of women who report teleworking — that’s some kind of remote work — over time since the series started in 2022.
Why Tylenol Is (Still) Fine to Take During Pregnancy
Back in September, President Trump and Health Secretary RFK Jr. held a press conference on autism. At this conference, they claimed, among other things, that consumption of Tylenol (drug name: acetaminophen) during pregnancy was a significant cause of the increases in autism rates. As I (and many others) discussed at the time, this claim is not well supported in the best data. But the ramifications of the administration’s position have been significant.
Did Denmark Ban Sleep Training?
I keep reading things about Denmark banning cry-it-out sleep training. What do they know that we don’t? I’d love to get some sleep, but I’m second-guessing everything I thought I knew now! — Very tired, but scared to sleep train No, Denmark did not really ban sleep training, although I am asked about this specific claim a lot. Denmark is known to be a family-friendly country, and when this claim started making its rounds, it caused people to ask, basically, what do they know that we do not?
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