Babywise is the popular name for the book On Becoming Babywise, which is a parenting regime authored by Gary Ezzo that teaches parents to “guide their baby’s day rather than be guided or enslaved to the infant’s unknown needs.” The book was self-published in 1993, as the secular counterpart to Ezzo’s religious materials for infants, Preparation for Parenting. Babywise was picked up by Multnomah Publishing in the mid-1990s, but then dropped in 2001, after publishers investigated medical issues related to the book and character concerns about Ezzo. Babywise is the first parenting guide that the American Academy of Pediatrics has publicly recommended against.
So yes, there is a lot to be concerned about. Let’s start with the author. Gary Ezzo has no medical background. He has no professional training in child development, medicine, or breastfeeding support. Ezzo, Growing Families International (of whom he is the executive director) and his publisher have attributed to him three different academic degrees that he does not have. Ezzo even stated in writing that he had an associate’s degree in business from Mohawk Community College in Utica, New York, even specifying a major and a grade-point average. He never graduated from that school, officials say (source).
Questions about Ezzo’s qualifications are relevant for two reasons. First, his lack of integrity should be a huge concern for the Christian community. 1 Timothy 4:16 says, “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.” Proverbs 10:9 says, “He who walks in integrity walks securely, but he who perverts his ways will be found out.” David said in 1 Chronicles 29:17, “I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity.” And Proverbs 11:3 says, “The integrity of the upright will guide them, but the falseness of the treacherous will destroy them.” As Christians, we must be committed to integrity!
Second, Ezzo’s infant feeding advice is inconsistent with standard medical recommendations. Both Babywise and Preparation for Parenting tell parents that not following his principles is a potential health concern and that the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) supports Ezzo’s recommended number of feeding times. On the contrary, the AAP does not support scheduled feedings and has issued an AAP Media Alert about the poor weight gain and dehydration that may result. The AAP stated that Ezzo’s program “outlines an infant feeding schedule inconsistent with AAP recommendations.”
What about the co-author Dr. Bucknam, you might ask. Well, Babywise is the secularized version of Ezzo’s Christian Preparation for Parenting material (now retitled Along the Infant Way). This was in its third edition before the first edition of Babywise was published and the medical content is the same. So, it seems as though Dr. Bucknam was simply added to give credibility to the program.
In addition to a lack of credentials, John MacArthur’s Grace Community Church, where the programs got their start, affirms in a public statement that the Ezzos’ teachings demonstrate “a lack of clarity on certain fundamental doctrinal issues,” “confusion between biblical standards and matters of personal preference,” and “insufficient attention to the child’s need for regeneration,” as well as a “tendency to isolationism.” Numerous Christian groups have expressed concern over Babywise and the Ezzos in particular because they consistently exhibited a pattern of cultic behavior, including Scripture twisting, authoritarianism, isolationism, and physical and emotional endangerment (source).
Aside from a lack of credentials and integrity, Ezzo’s materials are dangerous for babies. The following is from an AAP News article in 1998:
“Expectant parents often fear the changes a new baby will bring, especially sleepless nights. What new parent wouldn’t want a how-to book that promises their baby will be sleeping through the night by three to eight weeks? One such book, On Becoming Babywise, has raised concern among pediatricians because it outlines an infant feeding program that has been associated with failure to thrive (FTT), poor milk supply failure, and involuntary early weaning. A Forsyth Medical Hospital Review Committee, in Winston-Salem N.C., has listed 11 areas in which the program is inadequately supported by conventional medical practice. The Child Abuse Prevention Council of Orange County, Calif., stated its concern after physicians called them with reports of dehydration, slow growth and development, and FTT associated with the program. And on Feb. 8, AAP District IV passed a resolution asking the Academy to investigate “Babywise,” determine the extent of its effects on infant health and alert its members, other organizations and parents of its findings.”
There are so many resources out there on Babywise and the Ezzos. A few are included as links within the text and here are a few more:
Christian Research Institute article
Evaluating Ezzo Programs – extremely helpful site with tons of info including theological concerns of Babywise, statements by organizations such as AAP and Focus on the Family, as well as alternatives to Babywise; great resource!
Blog of former Ezzo Contact Mom
New Challenges Facing Gary Ezzo…
In conclusion, I found the summarizing thoughts made by the Christian Research Institute perfectly stated, “parents and church leaders…need to be aware of the risks associated with a teaching environment where Scripture is used out of context, questioning is actively discouraged, rules and schedules become part of one’s ‘testimony,’ even other Christians are considered ‘humanistic,’ division results, and the leaders do not seem to be receptive to constructive criticism.” Beware parents!
Amber said
Thank you, Lisa! I cringe every time I hear a new parent talking about Babywise. Your post has great clarity and information.
Yellow Rose Mom said
I would also encourage Christians who are considering Ezzo classes – be it “preparation for parenting” or the “Growing Kid’s Gods Way” series to go to http://www.awareparent.net/smf – this is a great discussion board with Christians who have researched the Ezzo programs.
Charity said
Thank you Lisa! Very well researched and thought out. I now have much more evidence to support my opinion of Babywise. I am interested to see what other comments will say.
TulipGirl said
You’ve done a good job summarizing the key concerns. I still find a lot of mothers state, “Well, it worked for me. . .” and so extrapolate that it will “work” for all moms. That sadly isn’t the case. And if we consider the “it worked for me” stories, it’s a good idea to consider the situations in which it doesn’t “work”:
http://ezzo.info/voices.htm
What I’ve observed over the years is that there are a lot of parents (like me) that would have said the Ezzo ideas worked great when they first started with them–but down the road, they realize they weren’t “working” as well as they thought they were. Time and experience are sometimes the only things that really help us look clearly at our experiences.
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Sharlene said
Its so annoying when someone reads a few things about something and calls it that minor amount of information “research.” If people use the basic principles laid out by the Ezzos, and combine it with some sense, it is a Fabulous program. The issues addressed above do not correlate in any way with the Babywise program. If the program is followed consistently, then there is no way that their would be any problems with failure to thrive, poor milk supply failure, and involuntary early weaning. This program takes out the guesswork of parenting and equips parents with tools so that they can be raising their children consciously rather than like little servants trying to find whatever will work to appease their new little prince/ss. I have worked this program for over 20 years with about 30 families. The only people that have problems with it is the ones that are not consistent or are too rigid. The whole point of the program is to allow you to meet your child’s needs. Without a schedule, there is no way to be able to anticipate needs and the child will always develop behavioral issues later. I can tell which children have been raised by boundaries and consistency, such as Babywise, and which ones were demand fed and raised inconsistently after being with them for just a few minutes. If you really want to know if something works or not, look at the behavioral issues and concerns of the children. Babywise and GKGW are excellent programs and people need to set aside their judgments (based on faulty followers) long enough to see that the program teaches parents how to enjoy their children and therefore raise happier, well-adjusted, resilient, confident children that will become responsible, independent adults!
Lisa said
Sharlene,
We at NCP appreciate comments left by our readers, including those that disagree with a stance we have taken. I welcome a response to the following questions:
1. Can you refute any of the above mentioned concerns (AAP stance, Ezzo’s integrity, history of the program, etc.)?
2. Pages 65-67 of the book address milk supply. How do you reconcile Ezzo’s idea of scheduled feeding with the size of a newborn’s stomach capacity?
3. What does demand feeding mean to Babywise followers or to you? In particular, why do you assume that parents who demand feed their babies raise their children inconsistently and therefore churn out misbehaved children?
Sincerely,
Lisa
Kathy said
Sharlene’s comment makes me so sad, because the arguments she put forth illustrate remarkably well the divisive, arrogant and my-way-or-the-highway rhetoric and reasoning that critics warned of ten years ago, particularly in the Christian Research Journal’s 1998 feature-length article “More than a Parenting Ministry” which warned that Gary Ezzo’s organization was cult-like. I’m sad because I had hopes that by 2008, we might be beyond that.
Sharlene has indicated that feeding a baby on a schedule produces morally and behaviorally superior children, and stands ready to judge your baby’s upbringing within moments of being acquainted with him or her.
On a practical note, when Sharlene states that following Babywise takes the guesswork out of caring for the baby, she must not have looked at the many questions Babywise followers typically have about when to do what.
However, I have a higher view of what Sharlene calls guesswork in parenting. When we make educated guesses about what the people around us need and want, we are building on our knowledge of them as individuals, and we are learning more about them as individuals as we observe their responses to our ministrations. This is all part of being in relationship with anyone. Being in a relationship with a baby who cannot tell us with words what she is feeling in terms of hunger pangs, fatigue, overstimulation, boredom, uncomfortable gums, restlessness, etc, does require a mother to tune in personally to that baby: to use all her powers of observation (and most women are gifted with good observational abilities when it comes to sensing the needs, pain and moods of others), to use all her powers of intuition, and yes, oftentimes to guess at what the baby needs. Babywise or no Babywise, all mothers must at times guess what their baby needs.
But these are usually educated guesses, built on prior experience and observation and as time goes by and you know your own individual baby better and better, you become a better guesser. So while we may all have times of wishing someone would just publish a book telling us what to do, real caregiving relationships are not built that way.
Andea said
While I know nothing of an Ezzo cult or doctrine. I do caution to be careful not to throw the baby out with the bath water. The basic ideas in BabyWise of how to get the child to sleep through the night have worked for MANY people; myself included and many other Christian moms I know. Taken as a simple sleeping method, incorporating your own intuition as the one who knows your child best, it is great. As always, with anything we must be careful, but not be over reactionary. Christians have become too well known for what we are against and the lost seem to have no idea any what we are for.
Whitney said
I am so glad to have found this information. I am 20 weeks along in m y first pregnancy and have been reading Baby Wise as so many at my church recommended it. However, there was something about the tone, the repetition, and the legalism that caused me to take a deeper look into Ezzo. I think much of the information is generally helpful, but if it really is a method that works so well, why is the book written the way that it is? If you have un-refutable facts to stand on there is no need to be repetitious or authoritarian in your tone – people will follow because it is the right thing to do. I kept thinking, “what does the M.A. after his name mean? He seems to have ‘little man’ syndrome as he constantly repeats every scary fact if we don’t believe him in this chapter.” My opinion is to read the Bible, the whole Bible, and apply all the truth to raising your child. We are all made differently and as long as you seek God’s guidance each day, you won’t go wrong – no matter how often you feed or not!
Thank you for giving me resources to look further into this plan so I and my baby can, by God’s grace, survive and thrive through the first year.
Lisa said
Whitney, I am so glad that you found this information helpful. Thanks for letting us know. I just breathed a prayer for wisdom for you as you begin the journey or motherhood. Enjoy that first year.