Know whats wrong with your child. (Child Health - Miriam Stoppard)

Member Name: SamPerry

Product:	Child Health - Miriam Stoppard
Date:	12/09/08 (123 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Easy to understand

Disadvantages: None

The child health book by Dr Miriam Stoppard is exactly what the title reads, a book about child health!! It has a large picture of a cute baby on the front and has the title written underneath the baby. The book was bought as a gift for me so im not sure of the price but on the back of the book it states that it should be £4.99; however you can usually get books nowadays cheaper than the actual price of them.

On the back of the book it states that this book is an authoritative guide to common childhood illnesses and their treatment, ranging from colds to meningitis. It offers practical advice on how you can look after your child and when to call a doctor and also gives you the information to diagnose details on more than 80 complaints.

The book itself is quite thin, at only 128 pages, I like this fact as it means that it isnt filled with unnecessary waffle and that you should just be able to find the part that you need without reading through a million other pages first.

The first pages of the book show the contents, the book is broken down into 9 easy to read chapters, which are:

Chapter 1 - Caring for a sick child
Chapter 2 - Infectious diseases
Chapter 3 - Skin, hair and nails
Chapter 4 - Eyes, ears, nose, throat and mouth
Chapter 5 - Respiratory system
Chapter 6 - Digestive system
Chapter 7 - Muscles, bones and joints.
Chapter 8 - Nervous system
Chapter 9 - Urinary and reproductive systems.

I think these chapters are broken down very well and that if you feel your child has an illness that you should easily be able to locate the chapter that contains information about it. However if you still struggle to find the section relating to your problem there is a more detailed index at the back of the book. So, for instance if you want to find a specific section on asthma, you look it up in the alphabetical index and find that it is on pages 90-91, therefore you don't have to look through a full chapter to find this information.

As you look through the book at each chapter, they are all very detailed, with great diagrams to refer to. You look up the illness that you think your child may have and find the relevant chapter, for instance colic, which is a common childhood problem that my son had between the ages of 3 weeks to 3 months. The book then tells you the possible symptoms of colic and what your child may be doing if this is what they are suffering with. It also gives a description of colic and tells you whether the condition is serious or not. There is then a blue box underneath each illness that tells you the steps to take to try and treat the illness, it also advises you whether or not you should seek medical help and what the doctor might do.

This book is very easy to read and understand, with easy reference points to direct you in the right place to look for a specific illness. It also doesn't scare you as some books tend to do; it gives factual and helpful advice that will assist you in treating your child if they are unlucky enough to become ill. As a new mother I am very pleased to say that I have not yet had to look at this book, but it makes me feel secure knowing that I have a book such as this to refer to if ever I require it.

Summary: A must have for the bookshelf.