Review by: Allison Martin

I purchased an older edition of this book when my son was one year old, and I still refer to it several times a year. If your child is at risk for health complications, this book is an excellent reference. We used it to clarify doctors' reports and to lookup various disability conditions and infectious diseases, often in the middle of the night.

The New Child Health Encyclopedia provides a great introduction to major health topics, in alphabetical order. Examples of topics addressed are: asthma, autism, bed wetting, dehydration, facial deformities, hand deformities, malnutrition, prematurity, puncture wounds and splinters, and urinary tract infections. The New Child Health Encyclopedia is especially useful if you have a diagnoses from a doctor that you wish to research or if you suspect a specific health problem. It's scope also makes it a useful tool for determining the type of disability risk you are willing to accept in adoption.

Parents children at risk for health or disability problems may find this book more helpful than parents of typically healthy children. However, it does include discussions of many common childhood illnesses such as fevers, earaches, mouth sores, allergies, and so on. Practical advice on major parenting topics is also covered, such as healthy eating, tooth care, poison prevention, preparing for and handling emergencies, and CPR instructions.

Quote from the food allergy section of the book:

"An allergic reaction affects a child with extreme sensitivities to certain substances (allergens). When a child eats a particular food, the immune system produces an antibody, a protein compound specific for the offending allergen. Production of this antibody is the first step in a chain of events which together create a severe allergic response. Since children possess widely varying sensitivities, every food has the potential to cause an allergic reaction. The most common allergens are cow's milk, eggs, nuts, fish, and shellfish. Less common allergens are wheat , corn, berries, citrus fruits, peas, beans, and certain spices."

Quote from the earache and ear infections section of the book:

"Some children with otitis media seem healthy. Signs and symptoms that can occur include pulling at the ears, severe earache, fussiness or irritability, and prolonged crying. A child may also experiencediarrhea, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, and weakness or lethargy. A feeling of pressure or fullness within the ear is common, as is a noise, such as ringing or buzzing, in the ears (called tinnitus). If the eardrum ruptures, a discharge containing blood, then pus, drains from the middle ear. A slight, temporary hearing loss results.

If a child with otitis media develops fever, chills, headache, dizziness, (a sensation of revolving movement, called vertigo), and sudden profound hearing loss, complications are likely to arise. Inflammation of the eardrum is often signaled by sudden persistent pain and fever."

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