Parenting at Your Child's Pace

June 17, 2024
Contending that “parenting is not a one-size-fits-all proposition,” pediatrician Warsh shows in his discerning debut how parents of infants and toddlers can evaluate what’s best for themselves and their child. He posits that “there is no wrong decision” when choosing whether to circumcise one’s baby, explaining that while the procedure lowers the incidence of urinary tract infections, the effects are relatively modest and come with a small risk of infection. Discussing how to spot serious health problems, Warsh recommends seeking medical attention “anytime a newborn has a temperature that’s over 100.4 degrees” or if the infant has trouble breathing (taking more than 60 breaths per minute is cause for concern). Throughout, Warsh offers a measured perspective on common parenting debates. For instance, he suggests that while many people swear by “baby-led weaning” (introducing solid foods by allowing infants to feed themselves small pieces) and limited evidence indicates it might improve appetite control, parents anxious about the risk of choking should stick with spoon-feeding purees. He also provides edifying perspectives on topics not typically covered in similar guides, such as when he recommends waiting a minute after birth before clamping the umbilical cord to increase the baby’s blood volume. Parents will find much of use in this levelheaded resource.