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.