The New Basics: A-to-Z Baby & Child Care for the Modern Parent (Hardcover)

by Michel Cohen (Author) "Adenoids are glands located behind the nose..." (more)
Key Phrases: tooth rot, stool retention, predisposed children, Michel Cohen, United States, Case Study (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Pediatrician Michel Cohen delights in offering anxious parents unconventional wisdom about children and toddlers: "less medicine is often the best medicine." Following an A to Z format, Cohen successfully skewers myths about every aspect of childcare. Using generic case kids "Lucy" and "Jimmy," and "real questions from real parents" he offers a compendium of health care information. Whether talking about behavior (bed-wetting, thumb sucking, school anxiety), symptoms (green mucus, earwax or eczema), or prevention (immunization, vitamins, toothbrushing), Cohen's approach is fresh and his tone is wise and wry--when discussing the drawbacks of medication for carsickness, he suggests that the best remedy is a plastic bag. Consistent core beliefs underline Cohen's alphabet: Doctors should not medicate all ills, antibiotics weaken natural immunity, you can't spoil your baby, but you can spoil your life. This practical, enjoyable guide is limited only by its short A-Z format--the information is so clear and valuable that parents will surely want to hear more from Dr. Cohen. --Barbara Mackoff

From Publishers Weekly
Essentially a user's guide to babies and young children, Cohen's book makes parenting sound as simple and straightforward as changing a light bulb or fixing a broken screen door. By no means comprehensive, the book provides simple and reliable information on health care for the under-12 set. Cohen, a founding member of New York's Tribeca Pediatrics, is something of a celebrity pediatrician, and his book has a slightly hip feel to it: it's done in a clean layout, with snappy sidebars featuring "real questions from real parents" and little symbols near many entries specifying what age group the advice pertains to. Naturally, some subjects get more coverage than others (e.g., the section on adopted children spans three pages, while car sickness gets a quarter of a page). This resource should come in handy as a quick reference on subjects as diverse as calcium, cavities, school anxiety and swimmer's ear.
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Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow; 1 edition (January 6, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060535474
• ISBN-13: 978-0060535476
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.2 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (60 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #499,837 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A much needed perspective on child care, March 23, 2005

By	Rachel (mother of 3) - See all my reviews

Dr. Cohen's common sense approach to child care is a much needed perspective in pediatrics today. Too often doctors prescribe medication/intervention solely for the parents' benefit (so that they can feel a false sense of control). I think the hardest thing for most modern parents to accept is that they cannot "fix" many of their child's problems (colds, potty training, sleep issues, etc.).

It turns out there are many times when raising children that medical/parental intervention is not the best answer, and patience is the only solution. I think it is commendable that an MD is putting forth this perspective.

I also think it may be difficult for some parents to accept his advice, because it challenges some tenets of child care that have been accepted as gospel for many years. However, I have seen Dr. Cohen's observations repeatedly supported by my experience with my own 3 children. If approached with an open mind, this book will save parents quite a bit of frustration, and make for a much less neurotic household.

16 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Bad breastfeeding advice, stay away, March 22, 2004

By A Customer

As someone who used his practice for a short time, I would beg mothers who are interested in successfull breastfeeding to stay away from his advice. It was the (gasp!) lactation consultant I worked with who helped me get my daughter to nurse by explaining how to train her to suck (yes, my baby had a medical conditon which affected her suck). The advice we were given at his office? Supplement with formula. As anyone with half a brain knows, supplementing with formula would have affected my supply. What I really needed was a pump, hands on help from an expert, since no one in my family had ever nursed, and alot of follow up.

I was distressed to read his chapters on breastfeeding. How unhelpful. While it may be natural to breastfeed, we need to learn how to do so. It is not instinctive in any on the women I know.

26 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Tragically uninformed, December 15, 2004

By	A. Aukeman "Mom of three" (New York, New York) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Dr. Michel Cohen's laid back, "less is more" style has led to at least one case of undiagnosed, stage 4 cancer in a 3-year old patient of his here in New York. For this child's distended belly and painful bowel movements he prescribed prunes and enemas. A second opinion and a simple blood test told the truth. Tragically, this doctor is all flash and no substance, and the same could be said for his book.