Caring for Your Baby and Young Child, Revised Edition: Birth to Age 5 (Shelov, Caring for your Baby and Young Child, Birth to Age 5) Reviews

• A reassuring, well-written book for all parents

  
  By A106H5XBYJ24ZN on 2000-08-25
  During the months that my wife and I were eagerly anticipating our first child, I set out to find a few informative books to educate and prepare myself for fatherhood. Although the task was daunting given the huge variety of available titles, I was finally able to narrow it down to three books, including "Caring for Your Baby and Young Child: Birth to Age 5."

  From the start, this reassuring, warmly-written book proved an excellent choice. The tone is conversational but intelligent, and the book informs without being pushy, patronizing or condescending. The information contained is up-to-date and presented neutrally. Also contained are supplementary "Where We Stand" sections, which outline the opinions of the American Academy of Pediatrics (the organization that compiled the book) for further reader consideration. In addition, a helpful 225-page section at the back of the book deals with a variety of important topics including emergencies, behaviour, family issues, immunizations, and assorted developmental concerns.

  As a new parent with endless questions and apprehensions, I welcomed the detailed month-by-month explanations of what to expect developmentally after birth (the book covers up to age five). Further, I was delighted to discover from the first chapter that the authors clearly love children and working in the pediatric field. This is quickly apparent from the way that children and parenting are discussed.

  My son is now three months old, and I enjoy browsing ahead through the book for a sense of what to expect in the days and years ahead. Overall, this title is to be highly recommended for its good humour, clarity, informative content, and celebration of the very reason it was written--our children. It's amazing how many authors and publishers tend to forget this.

  Conversely, "Your Baby and Child: From Birth to Age Five" by Penelope Leach (another of the three books I selected) is to be avoided for its preachy tone and use of scare-tactics. While not a terrible book, I found Ms. Leach's style heavy-handed. The author is prone to making parents believe that if a baby or child is not attended to in a certain way (such as the one she suggests), then dreadful things will result. Despite its many high recommendations on Amazon's site, I found that Ms. Leach's book presents only her set view of parenting. Even the "Parents Have Their Say" supplements throughout seem to do little more than support the author's own opinions on such issues as circumcision. A far better supplementary choice would be the excellent and informative (although bulky) "Mayo Clinic Complete Book of Pregnancy & Baby's First Year."
  
  

• The index is what sets it apart

  
  By A7JSYWIO35PP5 on 2000-12-07
  We have a lovely six-month old daughter, and have been using this book constantly since she was born. The other books that we liked were the "Girlfriend's guides" but this has a lot more detail, and I feel that it covers a lot more basics. My wife relies heavily on her mother, and a Russian version of Dr Spock, but we tend to leave the final decision to the American Academy.

  What I really like about this book is that the index is large, and easy to use. So if I look up "rash" there are cross-references to all the various sorts of rash that might appear. Someone has put in a lot of time to make sure that a panicked parent can go straight to this index, and find the key part of the text.

  The content is very much aimed at the "average" child. This is good in a way, as it does not worry you with rare ailments, and tells you to go see a doctor if there is anything out of the ordinary. So you get advice on dealing with the more common, middle of the road stuff by yourself, but if, God forbid, something more rare comes up, they send you to the doctor. Fair enough - no one wants a lawsuit for giving advice on a patient that they haven't seen, and every child is unique.

  The other thing that is surprising is that the milestones seem to be late - our daughter seems very early compared to the guidelines in this book, as do other children her age. So it may be that they consciously say that you should expect your child to do something later than they actually do, to avoid people panicking if their child develops some skill later in life. This looks like it would be unavoidable in a book that is trying to be applicable to a group that is as diverse as small children.

  Anyway, this book has been very helpful to me as the father of a young child, and I hope that your mileage is the same as mine.
  
  

• Such a useful book from such a stodgy source! :)

  
  By on 1999-12-16
  This book is just full of useful information and it's presented in a clear and helpful way. First, a month by month guide to infant development and psychology. Then some helpful sections on child proofing your home and finally a large and valuable section on health issues and emergency care. I didn't expect the AAP to write such a handy and easy to read volume.
  
  

• Serious inaccuracies!

  
  By A1EUOUT7BFHR44 on 2005-02-11
  I am a neonatologist (physician specializing in the intensive care of critically ill newborns, including premature infants), and was dismayed to read serious misinformation in the section on heart murmurs. The book states that heart murmurs in the newborn period are usually pathological, and need to be evaluated by a pediatric cardiologist (heart specialist). In reality, at least 50 percent of newborns have heart murmurs, and the vast majority of these are normal. The infant heart beats fast, and the quickly moving blood makes turbulence and noise as it flows through the heart structures and through small blood vessels. This noise can be heard with a stethoscope, and is called a murmur. These murmurs can last for days, weeks or months. Only infrequently is the murmur the result of a heart problem. An experienced pediatrician can usually tell the difference and, if there is any question, a baby can be evaluated by cardiology. An echocardiogram (heart ultrasound) is the definitive test to evaluate whether a murmur is normal or not. Most babies who are referred to cardiologists are found to be normal. The book goes further to say that even if tests are normal, the baby will be seen by cardiology repeatedly to make sure things are really fine. This is nonsense.
  My sister recently had a baby. I heard a murmur when examining the baby, but it was clearly a normal murmur. She read this book and was quite worried by what she read, and I had to reassure her again that the murmur was benign and the book was wrong. I can imagine that many other parents have worried needlessly as a result of this misinformation.
  If this degree of medical error is indicative of the rest of the book (which I have not read), then I would avoid this book completely. In any case, it is clear that insufficient effort was made to ensure correctness of the material prior to publication.
  
  

• Authoritative answers for your early childhood questions.

  
  By on 1996-09-28
  For children in the first five years of life I recommend Caring for Your Baby and Young Child edited by Steven Shelov and distributed by the American Academy of Pediatrics. This comprehensive guide is divided into two major sections. The first half of the book is arranged by age so whether your child is a newborn, 15 months old, or three years old you can easily look up your child's age and find out the major issues concerning safety, feeding, sleeping, fears, common problem, etc. for that time period. Doing this periodically will prove quite useful. I do it from time to time to get a fresh look at my own children. The second half of this book is encyclopedic. Common problems of the first five years of life are arranged in alphabetical order so when your child has an ear infection, or a sore throat, or a head ache you can quickly turn and get a brief, authoritative answer to your question.
  Alan R. Greene, M.D., F.A.A.P.
  Dr. Greene's HouseCalls -- Pediatric Wisdom for the Information Age
  http://www.drgreene.com
  
  
• Excellent Resource Throughout Baby's First Year
  By on 1999-01-11
  This book has come in handy for all of my questions and concerns. It has useful sections on development in different age stages, and the back section of the book goes into detail about infant and child illnesses. This health section in the back has been useful when I've tried to determine whether to call my child's pediatrician or what might help my child feel better, as well as how long he might be contagious. The sections on development have useful checklists too. It's the only parenting book I've purchased so far. I usually just check them out from the library but it is well worth purchasing.
  
  
• This Book is OK, but there are better ones out there . . .
  By A1QK7J7OXLHJK6 on 2004-12-17
  There is a lot of good information in this book. Mothers are encouraged to "room-in" with their babies in the hospital and breastfeed their babies on cue, not on a schedule. The information on how to breastfeed or what to do if you have problems, is sparse, though. They also recommend that you start the weaning process around 8 months of age, which isn't at all necessary or even part of the AAP guidelines. You'll need another breastfeeding book to supplement.
  
  The information on medical issues is pretty good, although, it isn't extensive.
  
  What I really don't like is the one-size-fits-all attitude towards sleep and discipline. The authors of this book are adamantly against rocking and/or nurisng your baby to sleep. They write that if you are doing this, you should stop. Nursing my baby to sleep works well for our family, and I know that there is no medical reason to stop. If it doesn't work for another family, that's fine. But, I shudder to think that a mother may stop doing what works well for her and her baby because these authors have the arrogance to tell her she shouldn't. They also tell you not to rock your child back to sleep if s/he has a nightmare. Personally, I think that's a parent's choice, not something doctors should dictate. But, if you can take this book with a shaker of salt, it does have it's good points.
  
  If you live near a Publix Supermarket, you can get this book free by signing up for their Baby Club. That's how I got mine, and personally I wouldn't spend my money on it. Instead, we bought The Baby Book by Sears and find it to be much more comprehensive and open to different parenting styles.
  
  
• Sound, Gentle Guidance for the first five years
  By on 2003-06-25
  This comprehensive guide is a parent-friendly reference book that I highly recommend to new moms and dads. Anxious parents welcome kind support and easy to understand facts so that they can become more confident in making the many necessary decisions regarding their children. "Caring For Your Baby and Young Child; Birth to Age Five" is conveniently formatted and offers an abundance of helpful, sound information addressing the many questions and concerns that arise during the early years. It is especially helpful in explaining common health issues thereby often relieving a worried parent on the spot about those many wonders and fears that occasionally come to mind. Although this book covers a wide spectrum of information, I noticed that the advice relating to discipline strategies and child development insights for the 2-to-5-year-old isn't as extensive as the medical information or the specific infant behavior suggestions. I would like to also recommend another helpful reference book to fill that need. "The Pocket Parent" is a troubleshooting A-Z guide focusing on challenging preschool behavior and is written in the same friendly, non-judgmental style as "Caring For Your Baby..." Parenting, especially in the early years can feel scary, lonely, and quite frustrating. These two books are very compatible, having the same underlying positive perspective and philosophy for raising healthy, happy children. Keep them handy whenever you need some fast answers, strategies, or just a little 'verbal hug' to reassure you that you are not losing your mind and that everything is going to be OK.
  
  
• This is the modern "manual" for babies
  By A2BJSY41R1WR23 on 2000-01-20
  This book is our most often used reference. It is well laid-out and well written, although a little dry. Each age range is discussed in terms of physical, intellectual and emotional development. There is a large section on possible injuries and sicknesses, etc. It has a good index and is consistently laid out for easy finding of just what you want to know. Much better than Spock, which seems to be laid out more to be read from front to back, instead of used as a reference.
  
  
• Pretty one-sided
  By A2GQMNJIZYVCG1 on 2001-01-18
  I bought this book when expecting our first baby and hoped it would provide information and peace of mind. Yes on the former, no on the latter. Although the basic information is reasonable, it often seems to ignore alternative perspectives. In terms of getting baby to sleep and back to sleep, they advise against feeding, cuddling, or bringing the baby to bed, and fail to acknowledge the very wide range of perspectives on this subject. Also, they make weaning at 4-7 months sound "normal" (even though breastfeeding is recommended until age 1) and advise introducing a bottle around this age! Anyone who breastfeeds and also uses a bottle for Dads or caregivers will tell you that nursed babies need to learn about bottle much sooner than 4-7 months. We introduced a bottle at around 3 weeks with no problems then or later. This may seem minor but I imagine it could really be problematic if someone waited this long to introduce a bottle and then tried to wean.

  Overall, decent information, but I'm going to look around for different perspectives.
  
  

• FACTUAL, COMPLETE AND EXTREMELY HELPFUL!
  By A3SN9EF7GTNEU2 on 2001-05-25
  How I wish this wonderful, complete reference book had been available when my three daughters were little ones. Now all three are grown adults, and two have children of their own. This is a terrific book, and one which will be highly recommended to those encountering the wonders, and sometimes fearful experiences, of parenthood.

  What is so impressive about this particular book is the way it is organized and "complete" - a one stop shop for advice. The fact the advice comes from a sound and reliable source is definitely another huge plus. There are many books available in the marketplace on child care and development but often they contain information based on personal opinion and not necessarily sound and qualified expertise. This book excells in professional and qualified opinions. The extensive content covers a w-i-d-e range of topics: nutrition; basic child care; physical, emotional and social development; first aid and common illnesses; family structures; behaviour issues, etc. The presentation style is easy to read, factual, and outlines the information in such a way that it is practical but does not instill undue fear and anxiety into the parent(s). I believe every parent goes through that stage when we tend to automatically assume the worst possible illness is going to befell our child only to discover, after a visit to our family physician, our fears were totally unfounded. It is human nature to react that way because we love our children and want to keep them safe and healthy. Whether a child has a common cold or an ear infection, we tend to lose as much sleep as the child, simply out of concern and worry. This unnerving experience is magnified if this happens to be your first child. Knowing what I know now, both as a parent and in the field of psychology, if anyone asked me for a book on a child's first formative years, this would be one of the first I would recommend, and it certainly is worth the price.
  
  

• Great Book - Almost Everything You Need
  By A222LQEPE7O7BV on 2002-07-29
  When may wife I were handed this book we were sure that everything we would ever need to know must be in the book given it's size. Well it turns out that we were correct, at least there has been nothing we have not be able to find yet. Being new parents we needed a resource guide, so by both our purchasing and gifts we now have a rather large collection of pregnancy and early childcare books. We have been reading them and comparing the different books to each other and of course how they relate to our experiences. This book has turned out to be one of our favorites

  This is a wonderful resource / guide that provides a wealth of authoritative child-care information in an easy-to-use format. It is a comprehensive book that seems to be able to answer any question we have or provide some guidance for any situation that we run into. The first part of the book gives you almost everything you need to know on parenting including a very helpful month by month guide for the first year. The second half of the book includes a complete and easy-to-use emergency first-aid section, plus detailed information about childhood illnesses, immunization schedules and side effects, and a discussion of behavioral issues.

  You come away from each encounter with book very reassured, it just seams like a smart, sound guide that can help you through all those times when you needs some advice or information. It is laid out logically and the writing is very understandable. Overall I would recommend it to any new parents.
  
  

• A must have for both new & experienced parents
  By on 1999-12-05
  This book has been of great help! I am a new mother and had no clue what to expect with a baby. This book will help you through just about everything from teething, eating, sleeping and behavioral developments. There is a informative section in the back of the book for common illnesses, cpr, etc..I buy this book for every baby shower I attend.
  
  
• Not worth it.
  By on 2001-01-08
  I am a physician and bought this book for a family member. Luckily I didn't have it sent directly to her because I am now sending it back for a refund! I found it to be full of advice that anyone with common sense could figure out on their own. It also devotes a fair amount of space to disorders most kids will never get. My advice is: buy this for a gift if you have enough time to send it back and get something else instead if you decide you don't like it.
  
  
• An Informative and Trustworthy Source for Parents
  By A3AGKHXVSUXOMQ on 2002-03-15
  Just before becoming new parents, my wife and I decided to "read up" on child care and development, and searched for the texts that would have all the answers. Two-and-a-half years into parenting, I think I can report that no such treatise exists. Nonetheless, this book is the best I've seen.

  The book is endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, and to me, this makes it a mandatory item in the library of new parents. So many books in this topic are written by individuals whose qualifications are a bit "shakey", but as an attorney I know that such is the by product of the First Amendment and "freedom of the press".

  I've found the information contained in this book to be informative, helpful, and easy to understand. The introductory chapters deal with birth and preparation for the arrival of a new baby, and so it would be appropriate to purchase or receive before the child actually "gets here". Other reviewers have indicated that they have given the book as a gift at showers, and we have since adopted this practice.

  The content follows development (i.e., first months, later years, etc.) and tells you what to look for in each stage, whether emotionally, psychologically, or physically, and notes various milestones. Tips and advice are also included, such as recommendations about strollers, beds, age-apropriate toys, baby's interaction with other children, car seats, treatment of illness, when to contact physician, sleeping and feeding tips, etc. There is also an appendix of illness and conditions, which is very usefull. This is usually the first place we look when needing an answer or when a problem arises.

  This is a handy reference, and I strongly recommend for at least first-time parents.
  
  

• Good reference book.
  By on 2003-10-23
  As you would expect by a group of doctors this book is complete and accurate. There's lots of information on childhood illnesses. However, it's also a bit expensive and wordy and a little hard to find what you're looking for, so I gave it four stars. I also think its time for an update as the book was published in 1998. I like Gentle Baby Care by Elizabeth Pantley for a new and an easier-to-read book.
  
  
• Really rotten advice
  By A3P0AOAF07PMDE on 2005-12-14
  This book contains a lot of bad advice for any mother intending to breastfeed. Their suggested schedule for weaning would almost guarantee engorgement and possibly mastitis, completely unnecessarily. They assume weaning will occur quite early, and the baby will be weaned to a bottle with formula. They mislead parents into expecting their four month old baby to sleep 10 or 12 hours in a row without feeding at night (unlikely regardless of feeding, really unlikely if breastfeeding). They urge unnecessary supplementation with solid foods or iron for breastfed babies at four months. While there is some merit in this book (it's nice to know what a pediatrician would tell you without having to make the phone call or office visit), it's quite limited. Hopefully further revisions will address these and many other problems.
  
  
• Wonderful Reference Book for Parents
  By A1OFS882NCCMXT on 2000-07-04
  My in-laws gave us this book when our first daughter was born. It is comprehensive and well written; we reference it all the time. It provides a great overview for most standard questions. I thought this book was much better than What To Expect The First Year.
  
  
• Don't Get This -- Buy Dr. Sears' Book Instead!
  By A31Y1G91FCKVHM on 2001-07-12
  Please don't use this as your sole or primary source of infant/child care and development information!

  First of all, it incorporates an enormous amount of MISinformation, which is shocking considering it's written by various members of the AAP. On the other hand, most of them probably aren't raising their own babies all day, that's what their wives and housekeepers are for!

  The most egregious errors have to do with breastfeeding information, sleep management, and soothing techniques. This is a considerable problem, because quite frankly, what are you doing with the baby for the first several years if not dealing with food, poop, and a crying kid?

  I have four kids, and as far as I'm concerned, the best book available for learning about your baby and child is Dr. Sears "Baby Book".

  Now, go kiss that adorable baby!
  
  

• Good information, but somewhat biased...
  By on 2004-04-03
  Overall, the book presents decent information, but I found it to be quite biased it its opinion of circumcision. The book states much misleading information on the topic and often quotes tragically outdated and long debunked myths and and as result suggests a strong preference to circumcision on part of the author. I would strongly suggest reading other books if one were inclined to research this issue further, particularly from an author with a less biased perspective.
  
  
• VERY DISAPPOINTED
  By A23NUVJB5U630 on 2000-04-25
  I bought this book as well as the what to expect series and i found that the What to Expect Series is much much more informative on the "little" things mom's and dad's need to know in a pinch. It goes in to much greater detail. I feel i wasted money on this book. I bought it when my first daughter was born 3 years ago and have used it twice. What To Expect whether it be first year, toddler years, etc. is much more informative.

  Now i have this book collecting dust.

  The what to expect books were cheaper too.

  That's my two cents.
  
  

• The best baby book
  By on 2001-08-12
  In my opinion, this is the best of the early baby books (and it seems like I have them all.) It is EXTREMELY comprehensive and educational. More importantly, to me, is that it is very comforting and calming. Unlike all the books that have month-by-month development charts that freak you out if your baby is lacking any of the skills in the chart, this tells you in more general ways what your child should be learning and doing at various points in time. For real advice about illness, I would recommend this over any other book too.
  
  
• Best baby gift you could ever give - or buy for yourself!
  By AFYEQ1V3ZZHX2 on 2002-01-28
  This book has sat, tattered and well read, on my nightstand for the last 3 years. It helped us to set up our nursery and buy baby stuff, and it went with me to the hospital when I delivered. There are excellent chapters on both breast and bottle feeding, and good illustrations on how to bathe and change a baby. I know this sounds simplistic, but I was in my 30's before I had ever changed a diaper and I was terrified about my lack of experience with infants; this book was very informative and reassuring in helping me to learn how to care for my little one.

  Developmental milestones are presented through the middle portion of the book - stages in walking and movement, food portion suggestions based on weight and age, language and speech, toy suggestions based on development. Recently, my husband and I frantically dove into the book, hoping to discover the difference between a nightmare and a night terror (common with 3 year olds). Of course, everything we needed to know was there (and everything's been fine since!).

  The back 1/3 of the book is an encyclopedia of illnesses and conditions. I can not tell you how many times we have raced to "the purple section" of this book to see how to deal with the various maladies of our children. Everything is explained clearly with outstanding pencil illustrations. I'm always reading this book when I'm on hold with an advice nurse - and have found that I get much better service when I do talk to them because this marvelous book has given us a common language.

  Anyone who is having a baby, or has a child under age 5, will be so grateful to own this book. Please consider it as a gift for someone you care about - children outgrow baby clothes, but the information presented in this book will help the entire family to live a better life.
  
  

• Excellent book with only one fault
  By on 2001-11-05
  This book is a MUST for every parent! It is a great source for sound information. My only complaint is that since I rely on it so much I believed it was safe to give my 13 month son a bit of bread and peanut butter. The books says it is fine at 12 months. This is not correct, it should be introduced at 3 years or earlier with Dr's advice. I should have waited, my son had a severe reaction to the peanuts. (He didn't even eat it, he spit it out!) No where in the book does it reference severe food allergies or the sometimes fatal result.
  
  
• Good on medical, short on perspective
  By A3JM25YVLEE318 on 2002-04-19
  This book contained no information whatsoever about homebirth, sleep sharing or toddler nursing, not even to discourage them, and it suggested weaning between four and seven months. These are grave errors in my opinion.

  However, what the book DID include was good, and the medical information was very comprehensive. This could be a useful book for when your child gets sick, but I wouldn't depend on the parenting advice it gives.
  
  

• Non-moralistic, non-idealistic
  By A9KAY47NCPQS on 2005-07-25
  This utterly reliable book is to be lauded for its non-moralistic, non-idealistic attitude towards work-outside-of-home mothers. No nonsense, anti-alarmist, non-sexist. Excellent editing and indexing. We use only this as our guide.
  
  
• Not worth reading.
  By A1YR4WCADNXMG3 on 2004-07-29
  This book is really vague and just gives you brief information on different topics, stages, etc. Don't waste your time buying or reading through this book. Instead, get 'What to Expect the First Year' by Eisenberg, Murkoff, and Hathaway....this book addresses individual concerns/topics and is very informative. As a new mother, 'What to Expect the First Year' has really helped me get through some tough nights.
  
  
• Just the facts, ma'am
  By A1K4FIZPPQ6311 on 2007-08-18
  The authors of this book were clearly looking to find consensus on childrearing. You won't find any unusual philosophies or theories. When the book does wander into more subjective advice, the label "Where We Stand" clearly indicates such.
  
  What you will find is easy-to-read, basic child care information. The sidebars on special problems and diseases were particularly helpful. When a new mom like me frantically wonders, "Is my baby hearing well?" she can easily find the sidebar and go through the list of things to look for. This was very reassuring on more than one occasion.
  
  
• I bought an extra for the part-time care giver!
  By A1CEC2PWBTLJM5 on 2000-06-28
  This book was given to us by our pediatrician and thank goodness. I have found the month to month guide very helpful in anticipating phases in our child's development. I am purchasing an additional book for my mother-in-law who also cares for my son on occasion. There is so much new information on child's health since our parents were starting their families and this book is concise and clear enough for any reader to quickly find what their looking for. From general health to feeding schedules to developmental milestones this book covers it all!
  
  
• Not worth it.
  By on 2001-01-08
  I am a physician and bought this book for a family member. Luckily I didn't have it sent directly to her because I am now sending it back for a refund! I found it to be full of advice that anyone with common sense could figure out on their own. It also devotes a fair amount of space to disorders most kids will never get. My advice is: buy this for a gift if you have enough time to send it back and get something else instead if you decide you don't like it.
  
  

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