Customer Reviews

The Children's Hospital Guide to Your Child's Health and Development

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

 

 

If you are about to have your first child, buy this book. If one of your children or grandchildren is about to have a first child, give this book to her or him as a gift. If you like this book as much as I think you will, you should consider having a copy at home and one in each of the family cars for situations that arise while away from home.

This book deserves more than five stars. It is the only comprehensive guide to childhood development and illnesses that I have seen. The content is remarkable for being easy to understand, concise, and representing many different perspectives (including those of moms, dads, elder siblings, physicians, and other health care professionals). The book exudes a respectful sense of optimism that parents will do a good job, and avoids taking stands about issues related to religious preferences. At the same time, the book is quite up-front about pointing out what works best for children and their families.

The book is organized so that the first four sections deal with developmental issues, from learning to mimic to toilet training to dealing with jealous siblings to school adjustment, on through the school age years in considerable detail. The fifth part gives you information on childhood illnesses, injuries, and conditions.

I particularly liked the way the development sections talked about how children usually regress just before making a major development, and that this is healthy. The book even points out the good sides of childish outbursts. I wish someone had told me these things many years ago!

Having been a parent of four children over the last 30 years, I checked out the book against every illness, emergency, and developmental issue that I ran into for my own children and their friends. In each case, there was relevant material that told me more than I knew when I had to deal with each of these issues, despite having read every book on child care that I could lay my hands on prior to the experience. In particular, the book is very good at explaining both the near-term and the long-term consequences of a situation. For example, one of our children went into severe convulsions with a sudden spike in fever to 106 degrees. The book points out that this happens to about five percent of all children, more often to boys, and that there usually are no long-term consequences. I wish I had known that at the time.

I would especially like to praise the chapter on child care, which has 31 pages that summarize the best and latest research on how to select the right kind of child care if both parents work. You even get what the ratio of child-care people should be to children at different ages. Further, there's an excellent section earlier on what's involved when a child is sick, including how parents should think about how to balance their work and the needs of a sick child who needs a parent at home.

Of particular value to new parents will be the sections in each area called "When to Call the Doctor" which gives you a sense of not only "when" but "how quickly" you should seek help.

To get some idea of how contemporary and extensive this book is, you will find a section on "Body Piercing Infections."

Unlike many books on childhood and pediatric illnesses, this one is not the views of one person. Instead, over 80 physicians and pediatric experts combined to share their expertise, drawing on individuals practicing at Boston Children's Hospital or teaching at Harvard Medical School. I have great faith in Boston Children's Hospital having often taken our children there to deal successfully with important illnesses. I am also pleased to say that one of our children has survived the experience to become a staff member in the hospital's emergency room.

The section on emergencies is not only good, it is also organized to help you prepare to handle emergencies before they occur . . . and to avoid them in some cases. Those pages are rimmed in pink so you can find them quickly if you are in a panic.

Give children the best informed and most loving attention you can!

I have been a pediatric nurse for 25 years and a parent for 15. I wanted to get a reference book for new parents and found this one published this year. I'm a big fan of Dr. Brazelton and his Touch Points which are included here regarding child development. The disease section was very thorough and I particularly liked the asthma section. It has the most recent treatment modalities laid out simply and clearly. I bought this at a regular bookstore for full price because I had to see for myself if it was of any value. It is an excellent reference, a "must have" for any parent. ....

I bought this book for my brother and his wife, new parents of a 10-week old girl, after the baby got her first cold. We wished we had bought this excellent manual sooner! Not only would the common-sense approach have calmed the new parents, but we could have saved an expensive doctor visit. The book has an extensive illness section that appeals to men who just want the facts, plus offers lots of tips and sidebar articles. A keeper!

This book is awesome. I'm a mother of 2 and didn't need any help with my first child, but my second child was very difficult and I found this to be an invaluable resource. It even lets you know when you should contact your doctor or when you should head to the emergency room. Being from Boston, I know that Boston Children's Hospital is one of the best in the nation. What is also great about this book is that it covers the developmental tasks of a typical child for a specific age group. It is a great basis to know if your child is under or over performing and helps you find your strengths and weaknnesses. It also has all of the growth charts in the back and an amazing appendix of different child illnesses. Anything you could possible want to know or have questions about when and if you need to be concerned is in here. It's like a Bible!

I really like the center of the book that lists all illness and injuries that children of all ages can experience. It gives information about what it is, what you can do to treat it and signs and symptoms that you need to see a doctor.

This book is going to be a valuable resource to us for many years to come.

I bought this book after I had my first child 6 years ago. I have consistently referred to it and found the information very useful and the recommendations quite reasonable. It covers every subject you may encounter in a true reference format. The book comes in VERY handy when you have a sick or injured child, but are unsure if a trip to the ER is necessary. This book has been my standard gift to anyone expecting their first child.

I've used this book countless times and have given it as a gift to at least 3 new mothers. They still thank me for the book. It explains what caused the illness, when to seek medical attention, how the doctor will treat it, and how to prevent it. YOU WILL LOVE THIS BOOK!

I had purchased this book a few years ago and the recipient was so pleased with it she buys one for every baby shower she attends. I also bought one recently from Amazon which was a much better price. This recipient hasn't put it down yet. It is a great resource for mothers and fathers to be but also after birth. Just about every question you have will be answered. You'll save a lot of phone calls to the pediatrician.

Highly recommeneded!!!

Having this book with three young kids is a must! Great reference for sick babies and also loads of interesting stuff about growth and development.

I got this book as a gift, and I admit I rolled my eyes a bit and wondered what the person was thinking. That was then...this is now! With three kids ranging from 1 to 7 years old, this book is my essential health reference. Despite that fact that you can look up anything on the internet nowadays, this book is so well-organized and lists almost every condition you can think of, from vomiting to Fifth's disease to bug bites. The best part is that it lists very concisely which symptoms you can treat yourself, need to call the doctor for or go to the ER for. Certainly you should always go with your gut (I have a few times, wisely) - but this book is a huge help with guiding a parent through an illness. I pull it out at least five or six times a year. Highly recommended!