Customer Reviews

Taking Care of Your Child: A Parent{s Guide to Complete Medical Care

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

We absolutely love this book! I use it all the time. If you have a pediatrician like most of us, it's very frustrating to go all the way to the doctor's just to be told there's really not much they can do, and then you have to pay them! This book has saved us many unnecessary visits and worry on behalf of our two daughters. It's so easy to use and tells you exactly what you can do on your own. In our case it has always worked. I have several friends who will call me with questions "for the book." My pediatrician was impressed by it and said he wished all his new mothers had a copy. I highly recommend it as a gift to new and/or "nervous" mothers.

I received this book as a freebie, part of a very smart corporation's plan to get their employees to take better care of themselves and their children, presumably, of course, to thereby lessen the overall insurance burden.

Never-the-less, with the probable exception of the dictionary, it's been the most referenced book on my shelves over the last 15 years since my first child was born. I treasure its simple wisdom and sensible approach and it has helped me both to ignore certain complaints and to act quickly upon others during that time.

As for the rather embittered review which claims it's full of dangerously misleading information, I'd have to disagree (although it's important to note those comments were made in reference to feeding issues, an area -- unlike meningitis, for instance, or a fall which resulted in a jagged bone protruding -- in which there's still a fair bit of debate).

No, it shouldn't be used as a sole source of information, nor should it completely replace your own good judgement AND instinct. However, for any number of every day ailments and injuries that any parent will encounter with their children, its generally sound guidance will be most welcome in helping you arrive at a conclusion whether to phone the doctor or not.

Being a parent is often enough like playing pin the tail on the donkey in the dark -- this book, however, WILL shine a bit of light where you might need it most.

...when I was a young parent, I bought this book and it was extremely helpful to me. With a new baby, it's hard to know sometimes if the illnesses and symptoms kids get are really dangerous. This book is packed with information about illnesses and conditions, plus, it gives you an easy method of determining whether or not your child needs to see the doctor. I'm going to buy a copy for my "children" now, so that they can use it for my grandchildren!

I have had this book and used it for the past 18 years of childrearing. I am now embarking on a new wave of parenting, with a 16 month old I recently adopted from China, and am looking forward to the new edition. Very practical, step-by-step advice for everything from development, to health maintenance and home remedies for common ailments. I have given this book as a baby gift to a lot of new parents.

This is an excellent book for new parents. I just love the flow charts which are great when you need answers in a hurry.

One of many attempts to follow in the footsteps of the late Dr. Spock. Unfortunately, this is not the book for new parents to follow. The section on infant feeding contains several erroneous and potentially dangerous statements. The book states that "evaporated milk...is the cheapest commercially available formula." This is an unbelievable error. It was health problems (including death) stemming from infant feeding practices including the use of such things as evaporated milk that prompted the development of modern formulas in the first place. Parents who attempt to save money by feeding their infant evaporated milk in place of breast milk or formula risk serious injury to the child! Another statement in the same section cautions that when mixing formula, "using too little water can cause serious problems for the infant." This encourages parents to add more water when mixing formula. But it is TOO MUCH WATER that has been associated with infant seizures, not too little. Further on, the text states that "fruit juices can be served within the first two to three weeks of age." Fruit juices contain mostly empty calories that will decrease an infant's intake of the full nutrition found in breast milk or formula. It is NOT APPROPRIATE to feed juices to the 2-3 week old infant! There are a number of other examples of poor advice to be found in this text. It is incredible that Dr. Pantell, Director of Pediatrics at a premier medical institution such as UCSF, could have his name attached to this dangerous misinformation. My only conclusion is that he probably didn't write it or read it. Don't use this guide. There are many others out there, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines or others.

Our pediatrician told us to buy this book on our prenatal visit, about 30 years ago. It was an excellent source and can help calm a new parent and save on wasted trips to the doctor. I loved the flowchart method of telling you whether to call the doctor or not. Of course, if you are unsure or the book did not cover the exact symptoms you still should call the pediatrician. Now I am going to buy it for our daughter to use on our grandchildren.

This book is extremely helpful in identifying health care issues and the best course of action. I have found it extremely useful for both children and adults.

One of the best child care books out there, grappling issues from the simple diaper rash to internal bleeding.

I'm delighted to see that this book is still available. My copy is 27 years old and was such a constant in our house while the kids were growing up that it still holds a place of honor on the bookshelf. Okay - the fact that their heights and weights are charted in the back on the growth graphs might be part of the reason... It prevented countless unnecessary phone calls and trips to the pediatrician, but it's more than just a "baby book". Even when the kids were teenagers, I was still consulting it to determine whether a medical problem required immediate attention or could wait until Monday morning. And the book was always right! The kids are in their twenties now, and when it's time, I'll buy them the updated version of this classic for their own families. At this price, it's a wonderful investment in peace of mind and a good night's sleep.