Customer Reviews

Breaking the Antibiotic Habit: A Parent's Guide to Coughs, Colds, Ear Infections, and Sore Throats

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Come on parents, admit it, which one of us hasn't left our child's pediatrician's office at least once, feeling a bit miffed and irritated that the doctor denied the need for antibiotics, when you were absolutely convinced that one was warranted.... If you raised your hand, then this book is a must read and will prove to be a valued addition to your home medical library.

As a registered nurse in the pediatric and adult settings for many years, I have seen first hand the devastating effects of patients infected with antibiotic resistant organisms. It is frightening enough just to watch a patient try to recover from such an illness, let alone try to care for them when traditional therapies have failed.

Unfortunately, the frequency and difficulty of treating these types of patients have become an increasingly alarming scenario in today's acute care facilities. We are long overdue in the rethinking of the way antibiotics are currently prescribed in this country.

With their new book, BREAKING THE ANTIBIOTIC HABIT A Parent's Guide to Coughs, Colds, Ear Infections, and Sore Throats, Drs. Offit and Bell have successfully provided clear and interesting discussions about the necessity for prudent use of antibiotic therapy for our children as well as the adult population. It also provides surprisingly simple and clear guidelines for caregivers whose children display symptoms of coughs, colds, ear infections and sore throats. It is a needed refresher course for experienced parents, and proves to be an important reference for all first time parents and grand-parents.

Bravo! Drs. Offit and Bell, thank you for this timely and important book! What an informative little page turner!!

I am a pediatrician and am extremely concerned about antibiotic overusage. This book will help all parents understand the risks and benefits of antibiotic use and give them a greater understanding of when antibiotics should be prescribed for their children. Learn that it is alright to tell your doctor that you'd rather not use medications if they are not absolutely necessary. This book is well written, easy to understand, and a must read for parents. Makes a great gift as well for a new parent! I recommend it highly.

I just happened to glimpse this book at my local library and checked it out. What an informational storehouse! I am the parent of two small children, who just recently have been coming down with coughs, colds, ear infections. Nowhere in any of my "pediatrition handbooks" did I get such an in depth understanding of common childhood problems and how and when antibiotics can help and when they can't. I wish I read this book last winter when I needed the information. I am buying this book and highly reccomend it to all parents. Read it cover to cover!

I live in Taiwan where medicine is readily available and abundant. Unfortunately, I realize that the doctors often prescribe much more medicine than is necessary. Also, different doctors sometimes say different things and few doctors like to explain why they prescribe specific medicine.
At first, I expected this book to try to convince me not to take medicine at all. But, in fact, it is about when and when not to take medicine. It offers clear examples which include symptoms, reasons, and what we should do. It is written in language that is easy to understand and can be read from cover to cover in one sitting. Coming from a parent with two kids, this book is an excellent reference that I check every time we get sick. It has saved us countless time and money that would've been wasted if we went to see a doctor. The only thing I would recommend is that they change the title of the book, because it is relevant for all people, not just parents.

Being a new parent, I was worried when my 9 month old had a high fever and a cough that lasted more than a day. The doctor told me to keep my child comfortable and monitor his symptoms. If he did not improve in a few days, I was to call back. I felt helpless. I had collected numerous books about babies and what to expect the first year: but none of these books had the information I wanted to know such as how do I comfort a coughing baby at night. Breaking the Antibiotic Habit is wonderful. I read it from cover to cover the day it arrived. Now I am more confident that I can take care of my child when he is sick. I know what to watch for and can communicate better with my child's pediatrician.

i felt that the book was very informative with good information about how antibiotics are abused and how parents are mostly to blame for it. it also gives ideas on how to treat certains colds with other medicines and natural stuff too.