The Portable Pediatrician (Sears Parenting Library) Paperback – Illustrated, February 23, 2011

This book is worth its weight in gold. We’ve been using it for more than 10 years, and this is the first thing I buy for any friend who is expecting. It has saved us many a trip to the ER in the middle of the night. It has everything you need to know about rashes, fevers, stomach bugs, first aid, every possible illness (except COVID), and how to not panic. When our child gets sick or injured, I tell my husband, “Go get The Book!” because we know it will tell us everything we need to know. It includes great info on development and the range of what’s considered normal, and what requires a doctor visit. The associated Web site for Dr. Sears has photos of rashes (very useful) and more details of items covered in the book. If you buy only one book for your parenting library, make it this one.

I thumbed through this book and it had great content! My daughter had some food issues when born and allergy to milk actually snd this book was spot on with a suspected diagnosis/ treatment As we experienced with her pediatrician . We needed up using goats milk formula instead snd it solved the problem because it was a protein allergy. But the point is the book is thick and thorough

This book and the others in the Sears series are very informative and also written in a tone that's really helpful to new parents. Very good for helping you decide when to go to the doctor, when to treat something yourself, and when to take a deep breath.

As one who avidly devours anything about health, I would say this book is a basic Must Read, especially if you are where I was just a few short months ago. Pregnant, nervous, and paranoid, I found an article in Baby Talk magazine about Dr. Sears & decided to look into his books. I must say, this book has really made feel much less frightened of parenthood & has given me good peace of mind. I am a firm believer in Holistic & Preventative medicine, Dr. Sears gives you all the tools you need to retain a happy, healthy child! My son is two months old now & I can rest assured that when the time comes to care for him while he is sick, I will be prepared! Until then, I practice preventing him from falling ill & I am so happy I know how!

This book has brought me comfort many times when I've been in a panic over what to do with my sick son. Also a big fan of 'The Baby Book' by Dr. Sears, which during my son's first year, was constantly open and became a centerpiece on our coffee table. Although not quite as detailed, this publication covers illnesses into adolescence.I feel that the Sears' have the same values as my family, and are very balanced. They truly trust a mother's instinct, and value each families beliefs. I find many doctors to be very opinionated and closed to new/different approaches, which is not the case with the Sears'. They understand that each family is different and don't condemn them for their differences.

This book is a must-have! When my 4 month old got his first cold that included a fever, cough, sore throat and sinus congestion I needed help and of course it was in the middle of the night when I wouldn't have been able to reach his pediatrician. This book told me everything I needed to know to put my mind at ease. I knew when to visit the doctor and when to worry. A few weeks later, my baby started getting yellow drainage coming from his eyes. I immediately thought of conjunctivitis. Because of the thorough description in the book I was able to rule it out. When speaking with the Doctor I was already well informed from reading this book that I was able to have a good and detailed conversation with him. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has a child. I also have The Baby Book and The Vaccine Book. Both also great.

This book is definitely a wonderful tool to have when you have children in the house. The index or glossary is so easy to use, and each section for each issue (whether it's burns, sprains, etc) give tips on what to look for, homemade fixes, what to do if homemade fixes don't work, what you need to see in order to call your physician/make an ER run.Nowadays, it's so easy to look up information online - but finding reliable sources can be challenging. This is a tool you can always have on hand, that you know offers quality/dependable advice.

Babies never change, but the times change, and so do theories and interventions. I bought this for my daughter when she had her first baby, and I found it very helpful for me, as well, to stay up with current interventions, too. Now when I sit for my granddaughter and I question something, I can look it up first before I bring it to the attention of her mom and have a little more credibility when I talk to her if I can show her "what the book says". The book has great cross-references and doesn't go into too much detail. Just enough information is better than too much information, and this book really fine tunes what is important and when to seek more advice from the child's pediatrician. I highly recommend it!

Excellent book. Every parent should have.

Very old edition