How to Raise a Healthy Child in Spite of Your Doctor
by Robert S. Mendelsohn, M.D.In this book, Dr. Mendelsohn walks parents through a series of illnesses and health issues and presents guides to determine the best course of action which, despite the title, does sometimes include taking the child to a doctor or emergency room. He begins the book with a few chapters of general wisdom on health and wellness for children. These early chapters almost always encourage parents to wait before calling a doctor (as many illnesses resolve by themselves without any intervention). Later chapters tackle topics like headaches, stomach aches, vision problems, skin problems and vaccinations.
The book was published in 1984 which is apparent in the research he cites. I was pleasantly surprised to find many of the things he recommended like increased breastfeeding and decreased antibiotic use are more common now, at least within our circle of friends, some of whom are young doctors. Though some of the home remedies he recommends are probably just fine, I'd be wary of trying them without talking with our doctor or PA first.
I think the most important thing I realized while reading this book was the trust that should develop between a parent and a doctor or, in our case, a PA. I trust our PA to tell us when we need an antibiotic and when we should just treat our child at home. I left our previous pediatrician when we disagreed about how my children should be introduced to solid food and have always been thankful I did not stick around longer. Most of us are lucky enough to live in an area with plenty of family physicians or pediatricians and should not continue to take our children to one with whom we are not completely comfortable. To that end, I thought his chapter on selecting the right doctor was one of the best parts of the book.
I did not receive anything in exchange for this review. The book was from PaperBackSwap, where I'll be posting it again if anyone is interested. (I will receive a credit from PBS if anyone clicks the link, signs up and posts ten books.)
