Review Summary: Drs. Ditchek and Greenfield take Dr. Andrew Weil's approach to combining conventional and alternative medicine (called "Integrated Medicine") and apply it to younger children. As a result, you will get new ideas for ways to avoid recurring ear infections, chronic colic, allergies, asthma, and various attention-related problems. The book provides a sound foundation for having a healther, happier child. As compared to other books I have read on the subject, this one is the best overall resource.
Review: Your child is just undergoing her or his 37th ear infection. Your pediatrician has informed you about putting in tubes to drain the ears as a possible solution. You don't want to do that. What now? Chances are that if you read this book, you will never have to face that exact dilemma. Chronic ear infections are often a consequence of other kinds of problems such as allergies. If you don't eliminate the causes, how can you hope to eliminate the symptoms?
Integrated medicine is based on a belief that the best thing to do is to boost the body's natural immune defenses; consider the interaction of body, spirit, and environment; focus on preventing disease rather than curing later; customizing treatment for each individual; tring gentle and noninvasive methods first; integrating the best of conventional and unconventional medicine; forging a nonauthoritarian healing partnership with patients and their parents; acknowledging that patients and their parents have good insights into the problems; and treating children as children, rather than as small adults.
Where do you find these pediatricians who practice integrated medicine? Well, there are few formally trained ones today. But some traditionally trained pediatricians operate in a similar fashion. The book can also be used to help you get better results while working with a traditional M.D.
The book looks at a lot of key issues for smaller children: optimizing immunity beginning during pregnancy, vaccinations, proper use of antiobiotics, the right kind and amount of food, getting enough water, exercise, rest, relaxation, protecting children from environmental hazards, and offsetting the bad cultural influences of television and advertising.
There is also an unusually open-minded discussion about mind/body medicine, osteopathy, chiropractic, massage, herbs, homeopathy, Chinese medical techniques, and energy based medicine (like Reiki and Qi Gong). I'm pretty open minded on thse subjects, and the authors go beyond my openness.
The book's final section looks specifically at how to avoid and deal with colds, flu, sore throats, ear infections, colic, reflux, abdominal complaints, headaches, allergies, asthma, skin problems, and attitude issues.
Most people would give the book five stars just for the colic, ear infection, and allergy materials.
The materials on food, eating, and exercise are good, but you will want to supplement them. I recommend Marilu Henner's new book, Healthy Kids, for that purpose. It espouses many of the same principles in those subject areas and has recipes, as well.
Despite being the father of four with plenty of experience for these complaints and illnesses, I was impressed by how much new information was presented here. My only complaint about the book is that it wasn't written 30 years ago when I was preparing for fatherhood. Dr. Spock wasn't nearly as helpful on these subjects!
On the matter of ear infections, I would like to note that you can gently rub your child's Eustachian tubes through the skin on the neck and often relieve the interior pressure on the ear drum. While it may not stop the infection, the pain will be less and you can probably avoid a punctured ear drum. A partial vacuum often forms near the top of the tubes. By getting air in there, the air pressure is equalized and comfort is improved. Most dictionaries have a drawing to show you where they are. Basically, they go straight down from the base ear into the throat. You can usually feel them as swollen tubes through the skin.
Forewarned is forearmed. Use this information . . . and pass it on!
