About the Author

Stuart H. Ditchek, M.D., is a practicing paediatrician, a diplomat of the American Board of Paediatrics, a fellow of the American Academy of Paediatrics, and a clinical assistant professor of paediatrics at New York University School of Medicine. He lives in New York, with his wife and five children.

Russell H. Greenfield, M.D., was one of the first four physicians nationwide to be admitted to Doctor Andrew Weil's program in integrative medicine at the University of Arizona Health Sciences Centre. He is the director of Carolinas Integrative Health (CIH) in Charlotte, North Carolina, and speaks around the globe on topics related to integrative medicine. He lives in the USA with his wife and two children.

Reviews

"[Dr. Ditchek and Dr. Greenfield's] sound advice and supportive tone, along with their useful resource guide, will help parents care for their children in a complex world. Highly recommended...." - Library Journal

"According to a Harvard study, Americans now pay more visits to alternative practitioners in a year than they do to primary care physicians.... They're spending $250 million a year on homeopathic remedies, and close to $4 billion on nutritional supplements.... But is this stuff safe for kids?" Yes, claim physicians Ditchek and Greenfield, practitioners of "integrative pediatrics" (as derived from Andrew Weil's Program in Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona). In this clear and compassionate guide, the authors combine the best of alternative and conventional treatments, medications and lifestyle choices to bolster children's immune systems, address health questions with the least invasive but most effective treatment available from the pantheon of global medical practices, and offer recommendations for common illnesses like ear infections and asthma. They conclude with a 12-month program whereby families can incorporate integrative choices into their lives. Seeking to address the "whole child," Ditchek and Greenfield's expansive reach includes issues like societal messages, physical fitness and environmental dangers and their impact on children's health. For quick reference, call boxes highlight critical topics, including "Ten Reasons Our Kids Are Couch Potatoes" and a "Summary of Useful Herbs for Children," and a comprehensive appendix of resources for everything from vaccinations to ADHD, with an array of Web sites, is included. Friendly, balanced and commonsensical, this demystification of nontraditional medical practices and options will be appreciated by parents of children of all ages. Agent, Richard Pine. (Aug.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

"[Dr. Ditchek and Dr. Greenfield's] sound advice and supportive tone, along with their useful resource guide, will help parents care for their children in a complex world. Highly recommended...." -- Library Journal