Customer Reviews

Children with Asthma: A Manual for Parents (COMPLETELY REV)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book was recommended highly by our pediatrician and then again by our allergist. As a parent of an 8-yr old girl just diagnosed with asthma, this book has had invaluable information on understanding severity of symptoms, how to respond, medications and environment. We learned that parental and patient education is key to controlling asthma, and this book was a strong step in that direction. I've read ALL the books now, and this one reigns the best, most complete and reassuring that I've seen. We also recommend it to doctors!

I came across Plaut's book in the aftermath of my 9 year old son's first and life threatening asthma episode just 6 weeks ago. Since then my son's condition has been stabilized with some wonderful medical help. But nothing has been better in understanding the disease, the treatment, and the myriad of medications recommended for it, than Tom Plaut's book. It is now my asthma bible. No one affected by asmtha in any way should miss it!

Dr. Plaut educates you so you can help your child, rather than be afraid of the asthma. The information he gives you helps you recognize an asthma episode before it becomes critical, as early intervention is crucial to helping your child live as normal live as possible. You also finish the book with enough knowledge that you will not be intimidated by the doctor, and you will no longer leave the doctor's office confused. You will be in control of the asthma, rather than having the asthma controling you!

This book became my single source for reference about asthma. Till I found this book, I was reading anything and everything that I could find on the net about asthma. My 3 year old had an asthma episode as a result of a viral infection. She has an excellent pediatrician and we chose to care for her at home. I got great comfort in knowing that the things we did intuitively were the recommended things in this book. It helps to have a good doctor. It also helps to have this book as a friend. While I was freaking out that my daughter had asthma, this book helped me calm down cos I realized that it could be worse. My heart goes out to all the children who suffer. If you are a parent of a young child with asthma, read this book. It will help you understand what asthma is all about in plain words and give you an idea of what you can do to make your child's life more comfortable by learning to identify the symptoms and manage your child's asthma better. Make sure you have a good doctor, too!!

I wish that I had known of this book 5 years ago! It has been immensely helpful in assessing the severity of an attack. I teach a workshop about dealing with body, mind, and spirit of parents and children with asthma and this book is a great reference for this.

I have read numerous books about asthma in children, but this book is by far the best. The information is presented in a clear, understandable way, but is not so simplified as to be unhelpful. The book is full of good tips and pertinent information; it's like spending an hour or two talking with an asthma specialist. The book has what I found to be invaluable information about how to monitor asthma in children who are too young to use peak flow meters. A system called "asthma signs" is used and is a wonderful way to identify problems and monitor asthma in young children.
There is a also a very helpful section on traveling with a child who has asthma.
If I were to recommend only one book on asthma in children, this would be the book.

Last weekend my seven year old son had an asthma attack with no warning, his first ever. Our doctor treated him competently and he is now recovering nicely, but the information we were given -- and all the drugs and instructions -- were a bit overwhelming. My first response was to try to find some good books on asthma in children, and I was lucky enough to find this one. It explains everything you need to know about asthma in easy-to-understand language. I learned many important facts about the biology of asthma, the drugs my son is taking, long-term care and management of asthma, and -- perhaps most importantly -- the questions I should be asking his doctor. The book is well illustrated, including pictures of all the different kinds of inhalers and spacers, how to properly administer different medications, etc. (particularly useful for newcomers to the world of asthma). I also really liked all the information and sample forms showing how to keep an "asthma diary" of your child's symptoms and treatment. The first-person stories of how other parents have dealt with their children's asthma were helpful, especially for putting things into perspective. In summary, this book really helped me to understand what we are facing, and I now feel much better able to deal with it. I have other asthma books on order, but I doubt I'll need them -- it is hard to imagine how any other book on asthma in children could top this one.

Dr. Plaut was coming to a town near me to speak shortly after my daughter was hospitalized for the third time. One of the nurses handed me a flyer and recommended I go hear him. I bought his book before I went. This book was a lifesaver. I first read it nearly 10 years ago (spring 1992) and my daughter has not been hospitalized since! Dr. Plaut gives the average parent the confidence to handle this illness without falling apart and without having to decipher the medical-ese being spoken by the doctors in charge of their child.

This book is the only one that I need. It has been a great help in developing skills to assess the severity of an attack. It also has great coping skills in it. I do a workshop on CREATING A HEALTHY APPROACH TO LIVING WITH ASTHMA: TENDING THE BODY, MIND, SPIRIT OF YOURSELF AND YOUR CHILD and this book has been a great reference tool for me!

I relied on this book when my son was a toddler (1984). A friend's son was recently diagnosed, so I bought this revised edition for her. It is a "bible" for any parent to educate themselves about asthma. It also contains information about real situations that other parents have experienced. Very valuable information! A must for every parent of an asthmatic child.