Lara Zibners - If Your Kid Eats This Book, Everything Will Still Be Okay: How to Know if Your Childs Injury or Illness Is Really an Emergency

A fever of 104F or higher is always an emergency.

Answer: FALSE

Childproofing will guarantee your childs safety.

Answer: FALSE

Baby aspirin is always safe for children.

Answer: FALSE

Cough and cold medicines are neither safe nor effective in children two and under.

Answer: TRUE

Kids can get bronchitis.

Answer: FALSE

Most cases of pink eye dont require antibiotics.

Answer: TRUE

An ear infection requires emergency treatment.

Answer: FALSE

If your baby produces only one stool a week, he/she is constipated.

Answer: FALSE

Antibiotics are not effective against a virus.

Answer: TRUE

IF YOUR KID EATS THIS BOOK,
EVERYTHING WILL STILL BE OKAY

How to Know if Your Childs Injury
or Illness Is Really an Emergency

This little project could never have happened without the time, dedication, and, frankly, blind support of so many people in my past, present, and, hopefully, future.

To my high school AP Biology teacher, Mr. Steven Ruggiero, who listened to me lament the excruciating boredom of scientific writing and told me that he had faith that someday I would be the one to find a way to make it interesting, I hope I did.

To every teacher who taught me how to become a scientist, nurtured my writings, or just helped me believe in myself, thank you.

To my friends, colleagues, and mentors who taught me the art of medicine, I try to remember those lessons every day.

To the nurses and staff who gently corralled an occasionally arrogant young doctor and taught me to respect you, I remember that always.

To my parents and sisters, who have unquestionably supported and proudly suffered through years of my never-ending education and the complete self-absorption that naturally accompanies such pursuits, thank you for still liking me.

To my friends who have listened to me talk about writing a book and actually believed it would happen, thank you for your senseless enthusiasm.

To my agents, Jeff Kleinman and Erin Niumata, and all the fabulous folks at Folio Literary Management, thanks for taking a leap on a total unknown and in the process becoming such dear friends.

To the people at Hachette Book Group, especially my editor, Natalie Kaire, thank you for believing that a doctor can also write and for pouring so much energy into this venture.

To my medical advisory review panel, Drs. John Fortney, Adam Vella, Daniel Cohen, and James Naprawa, thank you for your brains, time, and love.

And a final thank-you to my husband, Gernot, because it was your idea and we all know it.

Whats This Book about Anyway?

Are you the kind of parent who panics every time your kid hits his head or wipes away a drop of snot? Or are you the parent handing a hemophiliac four-year-old a box cutter? Maybe you dont actually have any kids and just like dropping fascinating tidbits of information at dinner parties. Whatever the case, this book has got something for you. What would happen if your child ate the decorative pebbles in the fish tank? Actually, probably nothing. But a teaspoon of what liquid lurking in your medicine cabinet could kill a room full of toddlers? How do you know if a kid is dehydrated or not? Sick with pneumonia or just a cold? Has appendicitis or just a bellyache?

This book is not about the basics of child care such as bathing, diapering, and feeding. There are many wonderful books out there that already cover these topics. Instead, this book is a regurgitation, if you will, of all the midnight conversations Ive had with stressed and anxious parents. As a pediatrician with specialized training in pediatric emergency medicine, I have expertise in treating ill and injured kids. Its what I love to do. However, somewhere along the way I started thinking, Hey, there should be a book about this. Twenty-five million kids in the United States are taken to the ER each year, and more than 50 percent of these visits may be unnecessary. The intent of this book is to help parents avoid the stress and expense of a potentially needless visit to the doctor or ER. How are parents supposed to know when a kid needs to be seen by his pediatrician and when he just needs chicken soup? What should they do if someone drops the baby? If his sister puts household bleach in his bottle, is he going to be okay?

ITS NOT REALLY A ROOM

TV has turned ER into a household term, yet this rankles many emergency physicians. The emergency room is not a room, but is an entire department consisting of many little rooms and an entire team of doctors, nurses, and other staff members. The proper term is emergency department, or ED. However, since ER is what youre probably most familiar with, Ill refer to it as such. But be forewarned that any doctor working in an ER is likely to correct your terminology.

For many parents, fear and worry quickly replace the overwhelming joy and excitement that accompany the arrival of a child. What a responsibility. If you listen to the media, it is amazing that anyone survives childhood at all. A kid gets the flu and dies the next day. A child falls from an escalator at the mall. An alligator stalks dogs and children in a residential neighborhood.

How does a parent keep any perspective amid this storm of terror? Bad things can happen. But tragedies like these are, fortunately, rare. Kids are pretty resilient. The intent of this book is to arm you with the information you need to know to help determine if your kid needs medical attention and what simple steps you can take to keep him safe and well. By helping you decide if your kids ailment may be an emergency, hopefully you will be more easily able to sit back, relax, and enjoy your little one. After all, isnt that why you signed on for this adventure in the first place?

However, please remember that this is just a guide. And remember: This book is not intended to be a substitute for specific medical advice. You know your kid better than anyone, and Im not sitting with you and your kid in your living room. If there is ever any doubt that your child is in need of medical attention, dont hesitate to call your pediatrician or 911. Your pediatrician should be your first line of defense against rushing out the door at midnight, and this book will help you decide whether it is worth waking her up. And if you do, and she says you need to go to the hospital, Ill prepare you for what will happen once you get there.