How to Raise a Healthy Child in Spite of Your Doctor: One of America's Leading Pediatricians Puts Parents Back in Control of Their Children's Health

by Robert S. Mendelsohn

Dr. Robert Mendelsohn, renowned pediatrician and author advises parents on home treatment and diagnosis of colds and flus, childhood illnesses, vision and hearing problems, allergies, and more. PLUS, a complete section on picking the right doctor for your child, step-by-step instructions for knowing when to call a doctor, and much more.

Genres: Parenting, Health, Nonfiction, Medical, Self Help, Childrens, Vaccines

304 pages, Mass Market Paperback

Published May 12, 1987

Reviews

[Ginger · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title of this book seemed suspiciously familiar, when I read it in my syllabus. As I started reading I realized it is one of the many books my Mother-in-Law lent me as a young mother over 25 years ago. When I started out, I took #1 to the doctor constantly with ear infections and other illnesses. By the age of three, she was totally immune to antibiotics and still sick. I was at a loss. With the help of a few naturally minded friends and my MIL, I adopted Dr. Mendelsohn's attitude that the body will heal most things if left alone. Sure we used the doctor for emergencies or severe illnesses that didn't go away on their own. We tried a few herbal remedies as well. The point is we saved thousands of dollars treating things with Chicken Soup and Mommy Love.

I'm grateful that I had an opportunity to re-visit this book and these ideas. There were times, when I questioned my resolve on this subject. This time through I was comforted and reassured that at least on this point, I did a good job with my children. At this point in time, it's a bit out of date, but the advice is still valid for the most part.

Sometimes using his advice raised the ire of health professionals I dealt with over the years of raising my children. His advice helped me gain the confidence to question unnecessary treatments and demand better care when needed. I further used these ideas, when I was the patient. I highly recommend this book to all families with or without children.

[polly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a good reference manual for parents who want to take a proactive approach to their children's health. The author, a pediatrician, discusses everything from accidents to ear infections to antibiotics.

A few words of caution, before I praise what is good:

1. This book is old. It is, therefore, rather outdated on some subjects, including vaccinations (which he calls 'immunizations'). The DTP is no longer used in the US, we have new vaccines (Hib, Prevnar, varicella...), etc. However, this chapter is useful in that he describes some of the different diseases and how to treat them IF your child becomes ill (a possibility even for fully vaccinated children, since most vaccines do not provide total immunization).

2. I do not fully embrace his premise, although I don't totally disagree with it, either. He approaches the medical profession from a severely jaded point of view, stating that many physicians are driven sheerly by profit. Although I am quite sure that is true, I also thinks he doesn't give physicians enough credit. Also, it seems to me that the medical profession has gotten 'better' in the past 20 years (the pharmaceutical companies seem to have gotten worse, but that's neither here nor there!).

3. Don't agree w/ his rather bizarre chapter on mental illness/behaviors....I agree w/ some things, but not with most of it.

Now, for what is good! Many things, and here are a few highlights:

1. He evidences a commonsense approach that is lacking for so many people today. he makes no bones about the things that promote health in children: good nutrition, breastfeeding, cleanliness, etc.

2. His ideas were progressive and many of them have been proven correct: he was waving a warning flag on overuse of antibiotics; now we know that is a true problem. Don't start solid foods too early (the new recommendation is no solids for 6 months...he was saying that 20 years ago...).

3. He gives parents confidence to treat their children's 'routine' illnesses and tells you when to call the dr and when not to do so...although I think the fever chapter is a little too 'out there' for me (I think I'd call the dr sooner), even that chapter has good, reassuring, informative advice that will help parents steer their children in a healthy direction.

Good reference!

[Kaetlyn Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really excellent book that will help readers determine when to seek medical assistance and when to stay home. I would recommend pairing this book with herbal/home remedy sources, since Mendelsohn does not really offer any (aside from the occasional dose of whiskey, LOL). For example, he says pink eye just needs time, my first thought is that pink eye needs breastmilk and chamomile tea! Some outdated information about the sun & shoes that are really are no longer held in the "natural circles", but you have to read it with the understanding it was written in the 80's. Overall a great resource that all parents should read.

[J. Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Albeit I have not read the book cover to cover, it is a valuable tool from a sane voice of reason in handling children’s medical issues without immediately rushing to the doctor every time. It has become more valuable post-Covid since many family doctors are unwilling to see children with any Covid symptoms. The governments control over the medical field has made it all the more necessary for families to have an idea on how to handle non-aggressive medical symptoms. We desire to maintain our liberty in our personal health decisions and to avoid having medicine constantly shoved down our children’s gullets to manage common illness symptoms so we did find this book helpful. It’s balanced though and certainly addresses that there are necessary times to seek medical attention.

[Jennifer Margulis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know what compelled me to re-read this book from cover to cover in the last few days (besides insomnia and needing a break from Vanity Fair), but I'm glad I did. I read it for the first time 14 years ago when my daughter was only six months old. Dr. Mendelsohn's fearlessness, honesty, bluntness, and smarts empowered me back then to take charge of my family's health. I took a healthy baby to the pediatrician, was made to wait almost an hour, and then was told she had an ear infection (she had been crying because she needed a nap) and even given a prescription for something for the pain. There was nothing wrong with my daughter that the doctor hadn't called. I still think about that completely clueless young pediatrician in Atlanta who was so self-satisfied and triumphant when she announced that my screaming infant had an ear infection and who ripped the prescription for antibiotics off her pad with such relish, relieved to have fixed what was (not) broken and move on to the next patient. Though I probably don't agree with everything Dr. Mendelsohn writes, I admire how unafraid he is to criticize his own profession, admit the mistakes he himself has made as a doctor, and urge parents to be proactive and uncompromising when it comes to their children's wellness. It's refreshing how he presents two sides to some questions and then admits that he doesn't what the best choice is!. I wish he were still alive so I could interview him. It is a bit discouraging that even though this book was written in the 1980s, much of his critique of pediatrics is as relevant as ever. I'm hoping with the integrative pediatric movements starting across the United States and the NDs graduating from medical school that might start to change. This book is a great combination of practical information, referenced studies, and one doctor's outspoken opinion. I would recommend that every parent in America read it!

[Dorothy Grace Barrow]

A slow and at times dated read but I have referenced it several times already and found the information helpful so I am glad I read it

[Rose Voltaire]

I had the excellent good fortune to see and meet Dr. Robert Mendelsohn many times in the early and mid-1980s. I read this book when it was 1st pub'd, and I bought several copies, had them autographed and gave them as gifts at baby showers.

The chapter re: treating childhood diseases that are believed to be treated by vaccinations is very responsible. Parents need to know if they DO NOT vax their children, recognizing and treating a disease as measles, mumps, rubella, influenza, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, and chicken pox are easily recognized and treatable. Often the way the medical profession treats childhood diseases is what makes that disease dangerous, such as giving fever reducers, indiscriminate doses of antibiotics, and pain relievers to children.

Dr. Robert Mendelsohn was a kind, considerate man who had two married daughters and four grandchildren that I knew of when he died. His wife, Rita, is a wonderful, fine woman. He was very responsible and had an eviable CV at the time of his death. He was professor of medical ethics, medical advisor for Project HeadStart, author of five books, member of the licensing board of the State Of Illinois, a dues paying member of the AMA for 40+ years, and had participated as an expert witness for many persons who needed his expertise.

He is sorely missed. G-d bless and keep Dr. Robert S. Mendelsohn in out memories.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book after having my first child-- 9 years ago! (5 kids later.... this book has been well-used! LOL) I think this book offers parents peace of mind! I have pulled it off my bookshelf many times to “re-remind" myself about certain things. =) When my accident-prone son ran into the wall and got a big old goose-egg on his forehead, and I was wondering if that was cause enough to run to the doctor... or when my daughters complain of growing pains or tummy aches... and I wonder if I need to consult the pediatrician or rely on "mom-intuition" for soothing them?? Dr. Mendelsohn offers practical advice for assessing when it's best to take care of your kiddos at home (and lists symptoms, offers advice, suggests remedies, etc... for doing so) versus when you should consult a doctor! It covers basic things like fevers... to more controversial things like whether or not to vaccinate. It's a nice reference and really educates the reader on misconceptions in the medical field that many people accept as fact. Would certainly recommend this book! Keep it handy!

[K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I've been wanting to read it for years and finally ordered it and read it within a few days of receiving it. It is very readable and understandable.

I really loved Dr. Mendelson's candor about the medical profession, pediatrics especially. He cleared up some questions I had about vaccines and childhood illnesses and had some super great information on things like strep throat and ear infections.

It was written in 1984 and I wondered how "dated" it would feel and I think that although there are a few outdated references to some of the vaccines and some of the drugs he talks about, I felt that as a whole it was still very up-to-date and useful.

[Mylinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, so I don't have any children. I read medical records all day and have noticed an increase over the years in testing and surgeries that in the past have not been warranted. This book talks about the medical profession (pediatrics specifically but could apply to other specialties as well) and what really is the driving force behind medications and all those tests - essentially the bottome line is $$. Interesting read. Since I already limit my interaction with the medical community (yes I have insurance) this book really didn't persuade me down another course, but it may very well be persuasive for another who have more regular doctor visits.

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

The original doctor-complains-about-mainstream-medicine book for me. He's quite a character. He even advocates the old fashioned spoonful of brandy for kids with a cold. But the premise that we turn to medicine too often and can take care of much of our family's health on our own, with simple remedies, and that often doctors make things worse, is very much true. In my opinion. ;)

[Willow · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are interested at all in being the one responsible for our childrens health this is a must for your resources!!!!! When everyone's telling you fear based opinion it's always so refreshing to read the truth and get the facts.
"He has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind."

[Sara Cross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some things I have been told about illnesses and medical interventions all my life have been a lie. My own parents perpetuated these lies that they heard from medical professionals. They (my parents) certainly didn’t know any better and are from the generation that implicitly believes everything that doctors (and the government) say is in their best interest. I have been through the medical grinder with so many providers, all saying wildly different things about my multiple ailments, that I am finally waking up to taking control of our family’s health instead of trusting it to money-hungry doctors, with overpacked schedules and pharma-lined pockets.

[Nicole Fisk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every parent should read this book! It’s amazing (and sad) how little has changed in 35 years-it’s still VERY relevant and useful.

[Allyson Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very helpful introductory guide to taking the health of your children into your own hands, where it belongs. Dr. Mendelsohn's critique of the modern medical establishment is very compelling. He uses a lot of research and firsthand experience to back up his claims. I appreciated his sections on equipping parents to treat common childhood illnesses at home. It was very helpful and practical. This will definitely be an aid to me in caring for my future family. My only qualm was his section on disciplining children. It was very unbiblical an unrealistic to tell parents that all their children need is love and affirmation, never discipline or correction.

[Katy · Rating 3 out of 5]

One must keep in mind that his information is outdated because it was written in the 80’s, but the majority of the book is still useful! He was obviously a very jaded man and that tends to come out in his writing. I’m right there with him that our medical system is wack but he makes some pretty bold claims that I don’t believe he should be making (example — pg 28 “he (your pediatrician) is misleading you if he tells you that your breastfed baby isn’t growing fast enough.”) I also I did not care for his parenting advice because quite frankly I’m not looking for parenting advice from a doctor.

Things I loved:

- The quick guides” at the end of every chapter. Super helpful!
- His consistent encouragement to parents to advocate for their children, do their own research and not go running straight to the doctor for every little thing.

I took away a lot from this book! Overall a good resource. I’d recommend it to *some* parents. I wouldn’t recommend to a parent who is brand new to straying from the “normal” route of medicine because his obvious hatred and bitterness for the medical system can be extremely off-putting and would most likely make them throw the book away and not think twice about it. I’d find another book for them. If a parent is already questioning some things about our current medical system and is wanting to learn how to treat their children at home, this is a good resource.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned:
*that fevers serve a purpose and that making it go away can make matters worse.
*that you shouldn't go to the Dr. for every little sniffle and why
*That many procedures done to children are unnecessary at best and are often harmful or worse.
*that there are in fact times when going to the DR. is necessary and how to make that distinction.

I review specific areas when I have questions. It has become a great resource for me as a parent

[Grace Batterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of the information was helpful, especially for empowering parents that they know their children best and don’t need to take their children to the doctors for most things. He gave incredible strategies for helping your child overcome typical childhood illnesses, and comfort for a momma to not be so nervous about sickness.

However, a lot of his information was outdated. I would love to read a revised 21st century copy. Several things he mentioned actually have been changed in the ways he hoped. (Example, they don’t bath babies right away when they are born, and they don’t take them to a nursery away from mom, also many doctors are way more supportive of nursing compared with when he wrote this book). Several of the vaccines are also different, and they’ve added more since he wrote the book.

I also highly disagree with his views on a child misbehaving. One example of his views were (paraphrased) “Kid says he has tummy pain to get out of going to school but it goes away as soon as school bus leaves. His pain was real, but the doctor can’t fix it, he just needs more emotional support. “Not fully satisfied your child’s need to be loved.”” Sorry Dr. but a child 100% can knowing lie, because his heart wants to sin. What he needs is a new heart, not just being told by his parents that he’s great. There’s many more examples I could give but I won’t here.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely phenomenal book. Given that it was written in the 1980s, it is a bit outdated. However, he offers many prescient warnings that have now come to pass. For me, that added credibility to the other pieces of medical advice he gave. For example, in the book he shares that in 1982 he appeared on NBC to talk about the pertussis vaccine (DPT) and warned of the associated dangers. The American Medical Association responded to the documentary by branding him a quack and attacking his credentials. Fast forward a few years to the mid-1980s, manufacturers withdrew their DPT vaccines citing safety concerns. What came as a result was the US National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act. But Dr. Mendelsohn is a quack? He offers similar warnings about the overuse of antibiotics yet we don’t see meaningful reductions in antibiotic use until over a decade later.

If only you could find more pediatricians like Dr. Mendelsohn!
________________________________________

“Modern Medicine would rather you die using its remedies than live by using what physicians call quackery”.

“One grandmother is worth two M.D.s.”

[Ayden Tilton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this book has a lot of very good, thought provoking points. It’s very interesting to hear about the pediatric industry from someone who was trained in it and worked in it for 30 years! He has lots of knowledge about how doctors are trained, on top of his knowledge of sicknesses, vaccines, well-child visits, appointments, hospitals, etc. (I also appreciated the humorous comments he sprinkled into his book!) Some of the information is a little outdated, although none that I noticed was incorrect, just things we’ve now known for a while. So that makes it hard to know exactly what else in the book might be outdated or incorrect. Nonetheless, I think it’s good to know a lot of this to at least be able to consider it with what we know ourselves of the pediatric and medical industries.

[Sima Lewi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wonder why this book was discontinued… (not). 🤔 Let’s be real, Big Pharma hates to see this book coming.

I keep saying it, and I’ll keep saying it louder every time:

The 👏🏻 body 👏🏻 knows 👏🏻 how 👏🏻 to 👏🏻 heal 👏🏻 itself. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Mother (Earth) knows best. There is always a cure in nature if you know where to look and are brave enough to trust your instincts. How did we get to a place where we gaslight ourselves out of our own innate intelligence? When did we decide that nature was flawed, and that we, with our synthetic bandaids and symptom suppressors, had to “fix” it?

We’ve been so conditioned to override the body’s wisdom, to distrust the very systems that keep us alive, to silence symptoms instead of listening to them. It’s wild.

Nature isn’t the problem. The problem is our disconnection from it.

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

This book is so valuable, even though there are some outdated parts (he's a bit loosey goosey about spanking, "try not to hit your kids/its better if you don't" was shocking). It was written almost 40 years ago.

BUT a lot of it feels relevant to today. I love that the focus is on teaching people/parents how to take responsibility for their own health and the health of their families.

[Clare Briggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

PHENOMENAL. Highly recommend. So enlightening. I borrowed this book but im about to buy it to keep it on the shelf and reference for my child and also my whole family quite frankly. I think literally everyone should read this.

[Kristin]

I was blown away by this book. So many topics that seem fresh and relevant to today, are tackled in this book FROM THE EIGHTIES! Basically, he says, you know your child's normal behavior better than anyone (especially a doctor who sees the child for maybe 10 minutes). Use your knowledge as your guide, don't blindly trust "science" or pharmaceuticals, and be amazed at what the human body can do.

[Katelynn Torres · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not gonna lie, he’s speaking my language the whole time and I can’t help but nod my head to all his quips and hot takes. It’s a lot of what I already believe about the healthcare system. However, the reason this book is a one star for me is because there is hardly any evidence quoted. His quotes come from other doctors or articles that were written about research, but not the research itself. It didn’t feel like he had a well constructed argument, but rather was giving his opinion. Though I agree with his opinion, that’s not what I look for in a book. I’m hoping to be presented with something eye opening and some science-based childcare. By not giving much evidence, he’s just as bad as the doctors he refers to in his book. Sorry, not a fan.

Update: I finished the book. I do still feel like I wish there was more research cited, but this is definitely a great reference guide for unnecessary tests, procedures & surgeries that our broken medical system loves to thrust onto our kids. It is important as a parent to know in advance what the risks/benefits are of these things because doctors will not tell you when they are recommending them. I was listening to the audio book, but plan on getting the physical so I can quickly check different chapters when my kids have certain ailments. It’s unfortunately so hard to find information like this on the internet.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book...unfortunately a little outdated, but I found his philosophy and insights very helpful.

This book was written in the early 80's, and one thing I found fascinating was how many of the things concerning pediatric care, which he warned about then, have come true. We now have an enormous vaccine schedule, our children are handed several prescriptions each visit we make, and our role as parents (as knowing what is best for our children) has been replaced by legislation and laws, etc.

I found the information about growth charts, vaccines, well-baby visits, using prescriptions to pacify the parents (instead of for the good of the child), nutrition rather than medication, and trusting and using your parental knowlegde and intuition very helpful.

While our doctors do us so much good, I agree with the bottom line of this book:

AS A PARENT, YOU ARE THE ONE RESPONSIBLE TO BECOME INFORMED ABOUT MEDICAL TREATMENTS, AND YOU ARE THE ONE WHO NEEDS TO PROTECT YOUR CHILD'S HEALTH. Mothers today are taught to go to the doctor and trust the doctor completely instead of learning to care for their own children and trust their own knowledge.

I wish they would update and re-print this book, but as it hasn't happened yet, I doubt it's going to! :)

[Justme · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this upon becoming a new mother. Eventually I loaned out my copy, bought another copy & gave that away, and now have a new copy to keep on my shelf...and my child is nearly grown!
I can never thank Dr. Mendelsohn enough for helping me deal with the many issues that arose, in a calm & competant manner. Through the colic, scary high fevers, unrelenting diarrhea, gushing head wounds, broken fingers, allergies & worry, worry, worry...I had Dr. Mendelsohn & Susan Weed to provide me with the kind of support that mothers & grandmothers used to provide. The kind of support few of us were raised with or have available to us in modern society.
I've just picked up the book again...and surprise, still more useful information... Maybe I'll have to give this copy to my grown child & get another one!

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love that this book encourages parents to do two things, question and advocate. Many parents are too intimidated to question anything that a “professional” recommends. We have to remember that even though they may have had more training in a specific area than we have, they are still fallible (hense the reason for a second opinion) and no one has the interests of our children held higher than we as parents do. Unfortunately, Dr. Mendelssohn passed away in the later 80s, so his book isn’t very current and some of his suggested methods might get you in trouble with CPS (administering whiskey to babies for various ailments), but much that is contained in this book is still relevant and the admonition to do what is best for our kids even if we have to push back against the experts is still spot on advice.

[Jaimee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the information is a little outdated, but it is refreshing to hear a pediatrician talk about using common sense and letting nature take its course instead of constantly prescribing medications. He presents information in an easy to read manner and is comfortingly non-alarmist when it comes to most ailments and injuries. I especially like the "quick reference guides" at the end of each chapter, which allow you to find answers quickly when dealing with a situation. Though most of the information was not new to me, I found the sections on vaccines, allergies, ear infections, and fever of particular interest. This would be an excellent book to give to a new parent and a helpful reference even for a seasoned parent.

[Cyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I sincerely wish I'd known about this book when I was expecting my children back in the 90s.

Fortunately, my son was spared the brutality of circumcision, but I made many other decisions about him and my daughter that I wish I could change; decisions that were based solely on full faith in doctors, thinking - erroneously - that they always know best. How foolish of me.

*Some* of the information in this book is a bit outdated (it was printed in the 80s, and the author died not long afterwards) - HOWEVER, the medical profession has not significantly changed since the book came out so the overall theme of his message is intact.

Amazing book - highly recommended, and not just for expectant parents. We can all benefit from healthy skepticism of the medical industry.