This post is written by Lori Popkewitz Alper:
“While there is nothing more frightening than the feeling of struggling to breathe, watching your child have breathing problems is magnitudes more terrifying.” Dr. Nina Shapiro, Take a Deep Breath.
When our children are infants we hover over their cribs, listening for that deep, methodical breath in and out before we tuck ourselves in for the night. Even when our children are toddlers and preschoolers we continue to listen for that breath. The breath is our source of life. Our bodies, when working properly, move air in and out of the lungs to keep us alive. We generally don’t give much thought to breathing, until a problem arises.
For an increasing number of children taking that breath of air can be a struggle. Asthma and other breathing conditions can be the culprit. There are also times when a child’s breathing pattern, although it sounds alarming, is actually a normal part of a child’s development. How do we know as parents when to worry and when to take a deep breath?
In Dr. Nina Shapiro’s new book, Take a Deep Breath: Clear the Air for the Health of Your Child, she clearly explains all of those puzzling and often times concerning breathing patterns our children have throughout their development.
Dr. Shapiro is a mom of two children and the Director of Pediatric Ear, Nose and Throat at the Mattel Children’s Hospital at UCLA. She has treated countless children and families who feel lost in what is happening with their child’s breathing.
Her book, Take a Deep Breath, is a great go-to guide for children’s breathing issues. It is written in an easy to navigate style with a quick reference “Big Picture”, “Worry” and “Don’t Worry” section at the end of each chapter. The book is divided into three sections: Newborn to Three Months, Three Months to One Year and One to Five Years. Each section is set up in a Q & A format, covering almost everything you could imagine that relates to a child’s breathing. There is also an easily accessible table of contents, glossary and index.
The book is filled with useful material for parents, grandparents and caregivers. Did you know that newborns can only breathe through their nose? They haven’t yet developed the complex reflex which tells them to open their mouths to breathe. The only way they can breathe through their mouths is by crying.
Dr. Shapiro incorporates throughout the book valuable information concerning the air quality, both inside and outside of your home. Air quality is a key factor in keeping your child’s breathing healthy. She provides useful and easy to implement suggestions on what we can do to protect our children from breathing in harmful chemicals and allergens found in and around our home environment.
Take a Deep Breath is a book that would have been very helpful when my children were younger. As a new parent, it’s hard to not feel overwhelmed by the enormous amount of information floating around out there. This book is a concise, user-friendly guide for every parent who has questions about their child’s breathing. Even though my boys are no longer toddlers, I still spend many a night listening to an 11, 10 and 8 year old breathe. With the help of this book, I now have a better understanding of when it’s ok to take a deep breath.
GIVEAWAY
Two lucky readers will receive a copy of Take a Deep Breath.
- Sign up for Moms Clean Air Force and leave a comment below letting us know that you have.
- Be sure to include your name (first name and last initial are fine) and email where we can contact you if you win.
- You must have a North American shipping address-No PO boxes.
- TWO lucky winners (drawn randomly via Random.org) will receive a copy of Take a Deep Breath.
- Contest closes at midnight EST, Sunday, February 5, 2012. Winners will be announced on Monday, February 6, 2012.
Disclosure: Thank you to Dr. Nina Shapiro for a complimentary copy of this book to review. The opinions expressed are my own and are based on my observations while reading this book.
And THANK YOU, Lori for this book review!
Lori Popkewitz Alper is the founder and editor-in-chief of Groovy Green Livin, a site dedicated to sharing simple green living tips and current information on sustainable living with individuals, families, schools and businesses. Lori uses Groovy Green Livin as a platform to create awareness, dialog and debate surrounding advocacy for healthy environments without harmful chemicals.
A contributing writer for multiple blogs and websites, Lori speaks, writes and advises on a variety of issues related to creating a greener lifestyle.
Lori is a green living educator, social media consultant, freelancer, blogger, borderline vegan and recovering attorney. She lives in the Greater Boston area with her three sons, chocolate lab and groovy husband.
In her free time she can be found practicing yoga, pitching a baseball, running, cycling, skiing, reading, cooking, or trying out a new eco friendly product.
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