Healthy Child, Whole Child: Integrating the Best of Conventional and Alternative Medicine to Keep Your Kids Healthy

by Russell H. Greenfield and Stuart H. Ditchek

Book Overview

Should you give your child nutritional supplements? Are vaccinations safe? Why are more and more children becoming couch potatoes? In Healthy Child, Whole Child, doctors Stuart H. Ditchek and Russell... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0062737457
• ISBN13: 9780062737458
• Release Date: July 2001
• Publisher: William Morrow
• Length: 464 Pages
• Weight: 1.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.8" x 1.8" x 6.5"

Customer Reviews

A healthy mix

When I received this book, I was looking at it from a fairly critical point of view. I wanted to give my daughter the best start that I could without wanting a medical "fix" for everything that went wrong, while at the same time being prudent about what she would need from modern medicine to be healthy. After reading chapters that had addressed issues such as immunizations, eating, sleeping, and antibiotics, I had found that the pediatricians who wrote this had a good mix of conventional medicine as well as alternative medicine. It is a book has pulled methods of both scopes of practice and has formed a new way of looking at health through both conventional and alternative methods.

Essential Reading for Parents and Grandparents of Youngsters

Review Summary: Drs. Ditchek and Greenfield take Dr. Andrew Weil's approach to combining conventional and alternative medicine (called "Integrated Medicine") and apply it to younger children. As a result, you will get new ideas for ways to avoid recurring ear infections, chronic colic, allergies, asthma, and various attention-related problems. The book provides a sound foundation for having a healther, happier child. As compared to other books I have read on the subject, this one is the best overall resource. Review: Your child is just undergoing her or his 37th ear infection. Your pediatrician has informed you about putting in tubes to drain the ears as a possible solution. You don't want to do that. What now? Chances are that if you read this book, you will never have to face that exact dilemma. Chronic ear infections are often a consequence of other kinds of problems such as allergies. If you don't eliminate the causes, how can you hope to eliminate the symptoms?Integrated medicine is based on a belief that the best thing to do is to boost the body's natural immune defenses; consider the interaction of body, spirit, and environment; focus on preventing disease rather than curing later; customizing treatment for each individual; tring gentle and noninvasive methods first; integrating the best of conventional and unconventional medicine; forging a nonauthoritarian healing partnership with patients and their parents; acknowledging that patients and their parents have good insights into the problems; and treating children as children, rather than as small adults. Where do you find these pediatricians who practice integrated medicine? Well, there are few formally trained ones today. But some traditionally trained pediatricians operate in a similar fashion. The book can also be used to help you get better results while working with a traditional M.D. The book looks at a lot of key issues for smaller children: optimizing immunity beginning during pregnancy, vaccinations, proper use of antiobiotics, the right kind and amount of food, getting enough water, exercise, rest, relaxation, protecting children from environmental hazards, and offsetting the bad cultural influences of television and advertising. There is also an unusually open-minded discussion about mind/body medicine, osteopathy, chiropractic, massage, herbs, homeopathy, Chinese medical techniques, and energy based medicine (like Reiki and Qi Gong). I'm pretty open minded on thse subjects, and the authors go beyond my openness.The book's final section looks specifically at how to avoid and deal with colds, flu, sore throats, ear infections, colic, reflux, abdominal complaints, headaches, allergies, asthma, skin problems, and attitude issues. Most people would give the book five stars just for the colic, ear infection, and allergy materials. The materials on food, eating, and exercise are good, but you will want to supplement them. I recommend Marilu Henner's new book, H

Integrative Childcare

"Healthy Child, Whole Child" is a terrific guide to childcare for the 21st century. Drs. Stu and Russ and Lynn Willeford offer smart, actionable advice on raising healthy kids--weighing in on everything from herbs to conventional medicine to mind/body therapies--all written in easy-to-understand, entertaining language. Dr. Russ's training with integrative medicine physician Andrew Weil is a plus. I'd recommend this book to any parent.

Everything you need to know to raise healthy kids

This must-read book is rational, grounded in scientific medicine, open to safe and effective combinations of conventional and alternative medicine, and extremely well written. I really liked the authors' respectful and friendly tone, and their comprehensive consideration of everything that affects the health and well-being of children. Well organized into 3 easy-to-use sections: foundations for healthy living; alternative forms of medicine that are safe for children; and how to combine conventional and alternative treatments for run-of-the-mill problems. Good guidelines on when to call your health professional and what you can try on your own. Great references and resources for all parents. I've been giving it as a gift for showers and new parents.

Great resource for parents

Parents want to do the right thing when it comes to their children's health. They are bombarded by conflicting (sometimes dangerous) advice from friends, books, and the media. This book provides clear, medically accurate explanations for the choices it offers. It is well-researched and easy to read. It improves upon "Dr. Spock's Baby and Child Care." I have been a physician for 27 years and a father for 22 years. I will give this book to my daughters when my grandchildren are born.