Evidence policy
How we decide what to publish — and what to leave out.
Hierarchy of sources
- Tier-1 institutions and consensus statements: AAP Bright Futures, CDC, WHO, NIH, Surgeon General advisories.
- Peer-reviewed meta-analyses and systematic reviews (Cochrane, JAMA Pediatrics, Pediatrics, NEJM, Lancet).
- Single peer-reviewed RCTs and large longitudinal cohort studies.
- Observational research, expert opinion, and clinical experience — used when better evidence is unavailable, and labeled accordingly.
Evidence tiers in our content
Every recommendation carries one of four tiers:
StrongMultiple high-quality RCTs, large meta-analyses, or longitudinal cohorts with convergent findings.
ModerateSome RCTs plus observational support, or strong observational evidence.
EmergingPromising recent research not yet replicated or scaled.
TraditionLong-standing practice with limited rigorous evidence — disclosed honestly.
Update cadence
- Vaccine schedule: annually (CDC updates each year).
- CDC milestones: annually.
- AAP guidance topics: annually.
- Nutrition recommendations: every 18 months.
- Mental-health resources: quarterly.
- Conversation scripts: every 24 months unless flagged.
- Broken-link checks: quarterly automated script.
Where we draw lines
We do not present anti-vaccine, anti-back-to-sleep, or pro-corporal-punishment positions as valid alternatives. The evidence is too one-sided to honestly both-sides these topics. Where serious experts disagree (sleep training methods, screen-time thresholds), we present the disagreement transparently.
Conflicts of interest
We accept no advertising and no sponsored content. We will disclose any commercial relationships (e.g., affiliate links to recommended books) on each page where they appear. To date, we have none.