As a mother of four boys, I've had my share of doctor appointments and emergency room visits. And up until shortly before the twins were born, I never questioned it. If they got sick I took them to the doctor, they got all there routine vaccinations, and well child check ups. Since then though, I've met parents who have questioned that course of care and I in turn questioned them. One incident that happened right before Jacob started school increased my level of worry.
Jacob's immunizations were all up to date (in Michigan) but he had to have a booster to get into pre school. I took him to the doctor and because they didn't have North Carolina records of his shots, when we entered the room there was a stack of needles on the counter. They were going to give him every shot he needed in one sitting. Multiple injections that are usually spread out over the course of a couple years, shots that were already cocktails in themselves. I explained the situation, and he got the one booster and we were on our way. But still, what if, as a parent I didn't know any better.
Which leads me to this book I'm reading, "How to Raise a Healthy Child...In Spite of Your Doctor" by Robert S. Mendelsohn, M.D.
It's not inconclusive, but it is eye opening. So here is some of what it says in the first chapter:
At least 95 percent of the ailments that children are prey to will heal themselves and do not require medical attention.
Too often, the risk of careless or needless medical intervention is greater than the dangers of the illness itself.
Pediatricians spend most of their time treating parental distress. The child rarely needs treatment but gets it anyway and is subjected to the consequences, and it is the parent who gets the relief.
At least 90 percent of the drugs prescribed by pediatricians are unnecessary and at costly risk to the child who takes them. All drugs are toxic and thus dangerous.
Most pediatricians have received little or no education covering the fundamentals of nutrition and pharmacology, and no emphasis is placed on these vital subjects in medical school. Their patients suffer because of the pediatricians ignorance of the impact of diet on health and of the hazards and side effects of the drugs he prescribes.
I am very thankful for doctors and that they are readily available when needed. And they are needed, we have had to have emergency surgeries, fractures x-rayed, foriegn objects removed and other important procedures, it's the routine stuff that I'm questioning. That adds up. And don't get me started on the cost of care or insurance. In some states you can choose not to vaccinate your child due to religious or other beliefs. We have made the choice to home school the boys so even though they are up to date they aren't necessary. Either way bombarding your kid with cocktails of shots 2 or 3 at a time or avoiding them altogether doesn't make total sense.
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