Keeping Your Child Healthy in a Germ-Filled World

A Guide for Parents
Erscheinungsjahr 2011
ISBN: 978-1-4214-0211-6
Verlag: Johns Hopkins University Press

Buch, Englisch, 272 Seiten, Format (B × H): 157 mm x 231 mm, Gewicht: 499 g

Reihe: A Johns Hopkins Press Health Book

The world is full of germs, and the news is full of stories about infectious diseases and antibiotic-resistant superbugs. What can parents do to protect their children? Keeping Your Child Healthy in a Germ-Filled World gives parents the information they need to shield their kids from infections and keep their family healthy.

Infections are harmful, but not all germs are bad. Dr. Athena P. Kourtis, a pediatrician and infectious disease specialist—and mother—teaches parents how to protect their kids without going overboard. She helps parents sort through the latest information about antibiotics, vaccines, hygiene, health foods, and home remedies, and she identifies which rules to follow—and which ones to ignore. She says:

• No to overprotecting your children from germs

• No to antimicrobial soaps and cleaning products at home

• No to over-prescribed antibiotics

• Yes to strategic hand washing

• Yes to being conscious of germs and the pathways they use

• Yes to vaccines

She offers tips for protecting your children wherever they are—at home or school, on the playground, while traveling—and whatever they are doing—playing sports, camping, visiting the beach—and answers questions that commonly worry parents. How many times should you wash prewashed spinach? (At least twice.) Does getting enough sleep help fight infection? (Yes.) Are pre-sliced foods more likely to spread infection? (They are.)

Reading this comprehensive, illustrated guide is the first step to keeping your family healthy. Up-to-date, accurate information and a clear understanding of how germs and our bodies work will help you and your child stay afloat in the microbial sea.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Kourtis, Athena P

Fachgebiete

• Medizin | Veterinärmedizin Medizin | Public Health | Pharmazie | Zahnmedizin Medizin, Gesundheitswesen Public Health, Gesundheitsmanagement, Gesundheitsökonomie, Gesundheitspolitik
• Medizin | Veterinärmedizin Medizin | Public Health | Pharmazie | Zahnmedizin Medizin, Gesundheitswesen Medizin, Gesundheit: Sachbuch, Ratgeber
• Sozialwissenschaften Pädagogik Pädagogik Pädagogik: Sachbuch, Ratgeber

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Preface
Acknowledgments
When Germs and People Interact: An Introduction
Part I: Which Germs Where?
1. I'm Hungry! Food-Borne Germs and Food Preparation Safety
2. A, B, C and 1, 2, 3: Common Germs at Day Care and School
3. Swim, Ski, or Wrestle: Germs Encountered When Playing Sports
4. Fur, Feathers, and Fangs: Germs from Pets and Other Animals
5. The Great Outdoors: Germs in the Garden, at the Campground, on the Farm, and at the Beach
6. Close to Home and Overseas: Tips for Avoiding Germs When You Travel
7. Sexually Transmitted Infections, Tattoos, and Piercings: Helping Teenagers Navigate Germs Safely
Part II: Our Defenses against Germs
8. Taking Medicine: The Use and Misuse of Antibiotics
9. The Miracle of Modern Prevention: Vaccine Safety and Effectiveness
10. Baby's on the Way: Protect Your Unborn Baby with a Healthy Pregnancy
11. Bonding with Your Baby: The Benefits of Breastfeeding
12. Supplements, Herbs, Organic Produce, and Probiotics: Do They Protect You from Germs?
13. Wash Your Hands! Personal and Household Hygiene for the Twenty-first Century
14. Myths and Truths: Does Science Back Up Traditional Wisdom about Preventing Infections?
Afterword
Trustworthy Web Resources
Selected Bibliography
Index

Über Autor(innen)

Kourtis, Athena P
Athena P. Kourtis, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., is a pediatrician and infectious diseases specialist, a scientist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and an associate professor of pediatrics at the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia, where she has practiced, taught, and researched pediatric infections for the past fifteen years. Dr. Kourtis has written nearly 100 professional publications, books, and book chapters on infections in children and has received many national and international awards for her work.

Athena P. Kourtis, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., is a pediatrician and infectious diseases specialist, a scientist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and an associate professor of pediatrics at the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia, where she has practiced, taught, and researched pediatric infections for the past fifteen years. Dr. Kourtis has written nearly 100 professional publications, books, and book chapters on infections in children and has received many national and international awards for her work.