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Womb Within

Baby Emergency Handbook - Review and give away

by Marijke on July 24th, 2008

I’ve mentioned it before here, I’m sure, but not only am I a nurse, I’m also a former first aid instructor. To me, first aid is a basic skill that I feel everyone should know. In fact, I believe that people shouldn’t graduate from high school without that and CPR.

I was offered the chance to review a brand new book called The Baby Emergency Handbook, by Lawrence E. Shapiro, PhD, Richard L. Jablow, MD, FACEP, and Julia Holmes.

firstaidbook.jpg

As a mother of three with my experience in nursing and first aid, I know what I consider to be a good first aid book. First and foremost, it has to be reader-friendly and easily understood. A first aid book that speaks above the level of the reader or rambles is no good at all - in my opinion.

So these are the things I look for:

  • Simplicity
  • Clarity
  • Functionality (how easy is it to find information)
  • Appropriateness
  • Accuracy
  • Anything extra I’m not expecting

I’m pleased to say that this book met all my requirements and then some.

Simplicity: The text is easy to read, the language is simple but it doesn’t talk down to you.

Clarity: The way things are explained are very clear. The divisions between topics are well defined. Where needed, text in bold offers great tips, called Parent Smart. The information in these tips range from what not to do if your child is burned to reminders for proper use of car seats. Some of these tips are in red - those are one to pay special attention to. There are also Baby Alerts throughout. These are tips specific to the baby, such as the difference between babies and adults when doing the Heimlich maneuver if a baby is choking.

Functionality: The book is divided into four sections:

  • Introduction: When Bad Things Happen to Good Babies
  • Ten Ways to Get Faster Help When Your Baby Is in Danger
  • The Emergencies
  • Appendices

The emergencies are listed in alphabetical order and the titles of each page are listed down the left hand side of the book so you can easily see them as you flip through the book. There’s no need to open the book completely and examine the titles at the top of each page. While this may seem like a small thing - if you’re stressed and close to panic, this is an easy way to find what you’re looking for.

Appropriateness: The topics are very wide ranging, from what to do if your baby is stung by a bee to burns. The authors also cover prevention - which I like to see in a first aid book. It’s much better not to have to do first aid at all.

Accuracy: From what I can see, there’s nothing I’d quibble over in the accuracy of the information provided.

Extras: What I really like too is that there are appendices. One is a list of Emergency Hotlines (although I would have liked to see Canadian numbers in there too), but not just the ones you may expect. The authors have included crises lines, abuse hotlines, and even the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. This section also has some forms for you to use if you wish. One is “Your Baby’s Health at a Glance,” where you can fill in all the pertinent details. There is also a sheet for personal emergency contacts. Finally, the part that I really like is the visual (images) of what to do if your child is choking.

See what the book looks like:

So - you may have guessed by now that I really do like this book and I feel that every parent should have this one - or one like it - in their home. A book like this would make a great baby shower gift or just something that you would give because it’s a valuable tool.

You can buy it at Amazon.com and I’ve been given one copy to give away to a reader here at Womb Within. To win a copy, starting today and running until August 7th at 11:59 PM EST, answer this question in the comment section: Have you ever taken a first aid or CPR course? If not - would you consider taking one? That’s it.

All *eligible* repsonses will be put into a randomized draw and the winner will be announced within a week after the contest ending. You must check your emails to see if you have won. It may be that my email goes into your spam filter so be sure to check there too. I have several prizes (two of the children’s books, for example) that have not been claimed yet. If you are the winner, you have 2 weeks to get back to me or else I draw another winner.

If you aren’t the winner, you don’t want to wait, or you have more than one person in your life who could use this book, you can click on this Amazon.com link to place an order:

Good luck!

~~~

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POSTED IN: After baby is born, First Aid, Product reviews

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