My Child Is Sick

May 16, 2011
Schmitt (Your Child's Health), a pediatric professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, bases this manual on clinical guidelines he developed that, he claims, are used by 10,000 practices and 400 nurse advice call centers in the U.S. and Canada. The resource helps parents determine how sick a child is, whether to call the doctor, and how to treat the child at home when a visit to the pediatrician is deemed unnecessary. Each chapter has three parts: a definition of the problem, when to call the doctor (with specific instructions regarding whether to call 911) and home care treatments. The book is divided into 14 major topics, covering 50 of the most common childhood ailments, beginning with head or brain symptoms (including crying, head injury, and headache), and then addressing all the major body areas. Concluding chapters deal with bites and stings, fever symptoms, and such miscellaneous topics as antibiotics and the transmission of common infections. Though the text is packed with information, parents can pick and choose which chapter applies to their child's particular situation. Readers seeking bedside manner or warm and fuzzy parenting advice won't find it, but those desiring concise, practical guidance will appreciate the straightforward nature of this no-nonsense resource.

Starred review from July 1, 2011

An immensely helpful medical guide that won't just sit on the shelf.

When a child coughs repeatedly in the middle of the night, parents agonize over whether or not to take him/her to the ER. Schmitt (Pediatrics/Univ. of Colorado; Pediatric Telephone Protocols, 2010, etc.), a board-certified pediatrician for more 40 years and the creator of the first self-triage iPhone app, makes the decision easier with this far-ranging reference volume for the most common childhood illnesses and injuries. Packed with peer-reviewed information used by doctors and nurses in 10,000 practices and 400 medical call centers in the United States and Canada, the book contains plain-spoken advice and bulleted, boldfaced keywords for a quickly navigable process. First, determine a child's major symptom and flip to "Definition" in the corresponding chapter; if symptoms do not fit, readers are encouraged to plumb the "See More Appropriate Topic" suggestions. Parents will be particularly drawn to the "When To Call Your Doctor" feature, which helps ascertain whether dialing 911 is necessary, or if parents can hold off calling a physician for 24 hours or longer, as well as the "Home Care Advice" section, which provides instructions on how to treat minor ailments with a standard first-aid kit. Above all, Schmitt urges common sense. The author also includes a list of "not to miss" symptoms along with myth-busting facts about fever, understandable drug dosage tables and age-appropriate ideas for pain relief, such as olive oil for ear aches if a child has no holes or tubes in the eardrum.

An excellent resource that will help all parents rest a little easier at night.

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