Dr. Spock's Baby and Child Care: 8th Edition

For generations, parents across the world have relied on Dr. Spock's expert pediatric advice. Now, In this fully revised edition of his timeless bestseller, you'll find all the information you need to meet the changes and challenges of childrearing in the new millennium -- including entirely new chapters about international adoption, coping with terrorism and disasters, college planning, autism, and other such topics as:

• breast-feeding: the latest research, approaches, and techniques

• common medical-care Q&A

• talking to your child about sex, drugs, and disease

• immunizations, vitamins, and nutrition

• learning, behavioral, and physical disorders

• dental and vision care

• raising nonviolent children, teaching tolerance

• blended families

• gay and lesbian parenting

• first aid and injury prevention

...and more. With all-new glossaries of medical terms and common medications, and an updated list of resources, this invaluable guide is the next best thing to Dr. Spock's #1 rule of parenting: "Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do."

This book covers different stages of child development. So I don't read all of them at once, only on the sections that relate to my baby's current progress.

Dr. Spock's suggestion is "TRUST YOURSELF". He believes mom knows the unique needs of her baby, and when the world-known pediatrician told you that .. what more can you say?


Essential Guide!   July 29, 2005
Beth Starr (Cali)
10 out of 10 found this review helpful

This book has the most common sense approach to parenting I have seen to date. Very much an advocate of trusting your own instincts, he allows parents to be comfortable with their decisions.

A great reference guide, quick answers to a lot of those questions that new parents have... even the ones that they don't know they have, and the ones they don't want to admit that they have.

I highly recommend this book!

**********************UPDATE************************

So, my son is 4 now, and my dog-eared copy of Dr. Spock's Baby and Child Care still has a place of prominence on my bookshelf.
This book helped me get through a couple of awful colds. It helped me figure out childproofing. Struggles with toilet training (best advice ever- stop struggling!), dinner-time (same advice! :-) ) So many little (and big) questions were answered with this book.

I could research things in the book, prior to taking my son for his well-baby checkups.

I'm a single mom with a really supportive family - that lives a thousand miles away. Dr. Spock helped fill the gaps. It's not a bible, it's not infallible- I don't completely agree, but I don't completely agree with my mother either!

I just can't recommend this book enough.


Dr. Spock   August 30, 2005
Mary Boren Soucy (Garland, TX)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful

This book is a staple for child care and raising. I bought it for my daughter and her husband, so that they could have it for their new son.

Great resource!


It has it all   July 25, 2006
Tsangaratou Koralia (Athens, Greece)
11 out of 12 found this review helpful

When I had my first child, I used to carry along this book even for weekend excursions. I suggest that you read the part about First Aid first and the rest of the book when the need arises. The glossary at the back is a life saver until you get to the pediatrician. Excellent book. If you are going to buy only one book about your newly born child, this ought to be the one.