How to Raise a Healthy Child in Spite of Your Doctor (Mass Market Paperback)

~ Robert S. Mendelsohn M.D. (Author) "This book was written for parents who are seeking advice on how to raise healthy children, parents who are eager to give their kids a..." (more)
Key Phrases: observe scrupulous cleanliness, cornstarch baths, bottlefed babies, United States, American Academy of Pediatrics, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Dr. Robert Mendelsohn, renowned pediatrician and author advises parents on home treatment and diagnosis of colds and flus, childhood illnesses, vision and hearing problems, allergies, and more. PLUS, a complete section on picking the right doctor for your child, step-by-step instructions for knowing when to call a doctor, and much more.

From the Inside Flap

Dr. Robert Mendelsohn, renowned pediatrician and author advises parents on home treatment and diagnosis of colds and flus, childhood illnesses, vision and hearing problems, allergies, and more. PLUS, a complete section on picking the right doctor for your child, step-by-step instructions for knowing when to call a doctor, and much more.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books; First Thus edition (May 12, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345342763
• ISBN-13: 978-0345342768
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (84 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #8,980 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #59 in	Books > Parenting & Families > Parenting > Babies & Toddlers > Child Development
  #73 in	Books > Parenting & Families > Parenting > Child Care
  #74 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Personal Health > Healthy Living

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

123 of 129 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This doc was a brave pioneer!!, January 11, 2003

By	70's Girl "Born to Talk" (Far From My Hometown) - See all my reviews

I love this book. It is the first book that I ever read on alternative views to children's health and it left me wanting to read even more on the subject. I am an R.N. and know that we parents should not just blindly put our trust in our pediatricians. We need to read to educate ourselves and take an active part in our children's health--that is what Dr. Mendelsohn tries to tell us. We take our children to the doctor and give them all sorts of medicines for every little thing when we can handle lots of stuff ourselves at home--safely. Fevers in themselves are not to be feared, they are a normal part of illness in children (NOT INFANTS). He said this years ago and now I am even starting to read it in the mainstream press. If you like everything neat and normal, don't buy this book. If you like a book that lays all the cards on the table, dares to be different and makes you think, YES buy this book. Because of this book, I have found a doctor who allows me to be part of my children's healthcare not just tells me what to do and expects me to blindly follow it. Dr. Mendelsohn was a respected physician up until his death and dared to be different before alternative medicine was cool.

59 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't Pass This One By!, August 14, 2000

By A Customer

All responsible parents and parents-to-be will want to hear the other side of the story when it comes to standard pediatric practices. Dr. Mendelsohn gives a thorough introduction to making INFORMED decisions about your child's health in this consise, down-to-earth manual.

"How to Raise a Healthy Child" does two very important things. First, it gives parents information about common childhood behavior, illnesses and accidents so that they can treat their child at home when possible and can discern when medical help is necessary. Second, it warns parents about questionable practices and attitudes common in the medical community.

It is important for parents to realize, though, that the book is a little dated and that some things have changed for the better (for example, pediatrics does not seem to be as formula-happy as it once was and now favors natural breast feeding). However, some things are as bad as ever or even worse (a respected private hospital near me has close to a 50% C-section rate when research shows that 95% of births are uneventful if allowed to take their natural course).

The greatest benefit of this book is that it will give you the frame of mind needed to make safe judgement calls when a doctor tells you you "must" do such-and-such for your child.

In the end, you may wish to do further research before making final decisions about things like vaccines, which seems to be a very emotional issue for some. For example, one reviewer here referred to the author as "biased" against vaccines but only refuted the least relevant point made in the book, ingnoring several others; this made me wonder whether the reviewer is biased in favor of vaccines. Parents should read various books and articles, pro and con, before making such choices. (By the way, questions about vaccines are mounting in the vetrinary community as well.)

"How to Raise a Healthy Child" ought to be in every parent's library. It can save you heartache and money and can save your child needless (and sometimes dangerous) medical treatment.

36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is a must have for parents, August 15, 1999

By A Customer

This book will teach you the signs to look for in an illness, when to call the Dr. and when to let the illness run it's course. The author, a pediatrician for almost 30 years has a drug free approach and believes the body has the ability to heal itself in most cases. He teaches parents the influence DRUG COMPANIES have over most pediatric practices and how to avoid Drs. who tend to over-prescribe. His advice on immunizations, asthma, earaches, allergies and breastfeeding is fabulous. This book has helped my family enormously. I've given this book as a gift and have been thanked many times over for it. It's a must have for any new parent, parent or grandparent. EXCELLENT.