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Summary: 25 Years Ago...
Review: ...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!
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Summary: Great "owner's manual" for new parents.
Review: 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.
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Summary: The 1977 edition may have saved my daughter's life.
Review: I ordered this book today, to give to my daughter, who is pregnant with my first grandchild. So, I haven't had a chance to read this edition yet. But I used the 1977 version extensively. The flow charts were very clear, and relieved a lot of worries (the charts lead the reader through a series of yes/no questions about symptoms, ending up with recommendations like wait&see, treat at home, see a physician soon, or see a physician immediately).One winter day, I took my easy-going four-year-old to the park, where she surprised me by acting cranky. When we headed home, I noticed something I had never seen before, nor have seen since - red circles around her eyes which increased in intensity over the next hours. Once home, I checked my book. Yes, she had a temperature, but nothing scary. The symptoms seemed to point to measles; odd, since she had been immunized. The flow chart asked if she was throwing up; if yes, it said to see a physician immediately. Otherwise, wait-and-see. Well, she had not complained of her stomach, but I didn't have to keep that worry in the back of my mind for very long - within a short time she had lost her dinner. Feeling silly (as her fever wasn't that high), I called her doctor and relayed her symptoms. He wanted to see her right away, and met me at his office, even though it was well past office hours ... we then rushed to the hospital, where Casey spent the next five days receiving antibiotics intravenously. The diagnosis was a somewhat rare subcutaneous bacterial infection called periorbital cellulitis. I know that without this book, I would have simply put her to bed, relying on her fever to fight whatever was ailing her. Had she slept through that rapidly multiplying infection, I am not sure we would be celebrating the reason for my purchase today -- my first grandchild. Sure, it's unlikely that a health emergency like this will present itself to most people. But I recommend this book (I'm assuming it will be an updated version of the first edition) to everyone. Oh, and a very late THANK YOU to the original author, Robert Pantell (who contributes to this new edition, I see). Yes, my expression of gratitude is 15 years overdue, but is felt just as strongly today as it was 15 years ago. -Sue Currie
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Summary: Every parent needs this one
Review: I purchased this book in 1975 when our first child was an infant. I used it for advice while raising our three children (now 19, 21 and 23) and found it to be the most helpful source I could find for parents in dealing with medical problems large and small. My book is now faded and worn but I know I will use it when we become grandparents. I recommend this book to new parents and purchase it frequently for baby shower gifts.
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Summary: The best book of medical advice for parents I've seen!
Review: I purchased this book in 1975 when our first child was an infant. I used it for advice while raising our three children (now 19, 21 and 23) and found it to be the most helpful source I could find for parents in dealing with medical problems large and small. My book is now faded and worn but I know I will use it when we become grandparents. I recommend this book to new parents and purchase it frequently for baby shower gifts.
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Summary: Every parent needs this one
Review: 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.
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Summary: CAUTION--dangerous misinformation. Check with MD first.
Review: 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.
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Summary: Just what the doctor ordered!
Review: 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.
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