Raising Today’s Child, a Pediatric Nurse Practitioners Perspective
Raising Today’s Child, a Pediatric Nurse Practitioners Perspective
Author Melanie Wilhelm, DNP, CPNP
Raising Today’s Child, a Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (PNP) Perspective, by Melanie Wilhelm, DNP, CPNP provides practice, evidence based information for parents and providers. Use this resource to share with parents or as a guide for your interactions with families as a clinical provider.
Keys to Surviving Today’s Challenges!
Raising today’s child has always been challenging for PNPs, other clinicians, and parents. Finding good, sound medical advice can be a bigger challenge. As a pediatric healthcare provider, you maintain quite a busy schedule. Picture an average Wednesday afternoon. Your schedule is booked. You are running at least 30 minutes behind. You walk into an exam room for a two-week check-up and the exhausted new parents have a laundry list of questions. You know you must get to the history and do a complete exam within the time allotted. Your concerns are quite different from those of the parents. You need to know if that baby has regained birth weight and if the newborn screen is normal. The worried parents want to know why the baby’s skin is peeling and what to do about the diaper rash. They may have questions about breast feeding or which formula is best. They have questions about vaccinations and if they are safe. They ask about crying and how best to handle a night-time sleep schedule. You wish you could take the hour to answer all their questions, but you know that you cannot. You wish you had a cost-effective, easy-to-read parenting resource book for parents that you could trust to provide and recommend to your new parents. Now you do!
Raising Today’s Baby
Raising Today’s Baby Second Edition is the evidence-based parenting resource book, from birth to one year, that you have been searching for. It is written by a practicing pediatric healthcare provider and parent: Melanie J Wilhelm, DNP and CPNP. She recognized after her first book, “Raising Today’s Child,” that parents and clinicians also needed practical, medically sound information for raising today’s baby. You can feel comfortable referring parents to this book since it is peer-reviewed by both MDs and PNPs. It utilizes American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommendations.
We know that parents only retain about 10% of the information that they are given in the office. A written guide is so essential to assist these exhausted new parents. All new babies should come with an instruction manual. Raising Today’s Baby Second Edition is the one you can recommend with confidence. The easy to read format is appropriate for parents of all educational backgrounds. It is especially helpful to first-time parents and is a great refresher for experienced parents as well. Even grandparents appreciate the book to update their knowledge.
This parenting resource book covers the essential topics that we, as busy pediatric providers, do not have time to cover during those precious well visits. Raising Today’s Baby Second Edition helps parents navigate the wonderful, yet sometimes challenging, first year of life. The topics include general parent questions and answers, finding balance as a parent, sleep, crying, bathing and skin care, medical care, feeding, diaper care and returning to work. It is a complete guide which is informative and completely applicable to parents, while parenting experiences make it an enjoyable read.
Advice for PNPs on Raising Today’s Child
By providing this invaluable resource to your families, your medical practice could rest assured that parents would know the basics such as: infants should be placed to sleep on the back, on a separate firm safe sleep surface, but remain in the parents room. You would be comforted knowing that the issue of never shake a baby has been covered, along with what to do when that infant just will not stop crying. The chapter entitled “Why are they still crying?” takes a step wise approach to the crying infant. It discusses crying as a means of communication, crying with colic, as well as the normalcy of crying. It offers 25 suggestions to soothe a fussy baby. Postpartum depression is covered as well, along with an inclusion of the suicide hotline.
This essential resource for PNPs and other pediatric providers on raising today’s child, covers the simple things that you might think parents already know, but that they may not, like what to do for a diaper rash, what baby poop looks like, what constitutes constipation, how and when to bathe a baby, umbilical cord care, never leave a baby alone in the tub, circumcision care, what to do about cradle cap, and how best to manage sensitive skin.
Be Pro-Active and Focus on Safety
Thankfully, this resource is pro-vaccination and will back-up the message of safety and effectiveness of vaccines that you provide in the office. It covers the recommended CDC vaccine schedule and in simple terms explains how vaccines work. The myth of autism and vaccines is debunked as is the topic of spacing vaccines. It discusses the stages of clinical testing of vaccines and the safety profile. It gives credible reference websites for further review including cdc.gov/vaccines and immunize.org.
Raising Today’s Baby Second Edition covers the developmental milestones by age for parents. It explains growth charts as well as the difference between sick and well visits. Fever as a friend is discussed, along with when fever is emergent. There is a section on the differences between bacterial and viral illnesses, and why antibiotics will not work with viral illnesses. The seriousness of cold sores in young infants is reviewed.
This up to date second edition includes early introduction of allergy foods to infants, as well as how and when to begin solid foods. Avoidance of honey until after 12 months is covered. The feeding chapter covers breast vs bottle feeding, as well as differences in formulas. It discusses how a parent can be assured that the baby is getting enough breast milk or formula. How and why to burp is reviewed. The vitamin supplementation needed for breast-fed infants is stressed. The topic of choking brings along with it an encouragement to be prepared with certification in CPR from the American Red Cross or American Heart Association.
The chapter entitled “Sleep…or the lack thereof” lets parents know that they are not alone in the blur of parental exhaustion. The normalcy of round the clock feedings and effects of sleep deprivation are discussed. The facts of infant sleep are reviewed by age, offering insight and suggestions to regulate these cycles and survive the first few months. Swaddling is discussed, as is avoidance of tight swaddling to protect those tiny hips. The dangerous topic of co-sleeping is discouraged, and healthy sleep hygiene is encouraged. The Ferber method of sleep training is reviewed.
One of parent’s favorite chapters is “Finding balance as a parent” which discusses ten areas of the parent’s life and how to work to keep them in balance: exercise, nutrition, appearance, rest, emotional support (friendship), spiritual support (faith), health, environment, goals and recreation/hobbies. A healthy parent leads to a healthy child.
Raising Today’s Baby Second Edition is the up-to-date, evidence-based parenting resource that you can trust to give your parents the answers they need. Bulk copies for distribution at your office can be ordered at a professional discount by contacting Melanie J Wilhelm DNP CPNP at RaisingTodaysChild@gmail.com. Raising Today’s Baby Second Edition book is available for only $15.95 (Kindle edition $9.95) at RaisingTodaysChild.com
For Pediatric or other APRN or PA jobs, visit jobs@melnic.com today!
Resources for Raising Today’s Child for PNPs and Other Clinicians:
Critical Care Clinical Resources
I’m Melanie J Wilhelm DNP, CPNP. I’m a Doctor of Nursing Practice and a Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner. My mission is to help families live healthier, happier lives. When my daughter, Ashley-Kate, was small, she struggled with asthma. I spent many days in the pediatric office. I was frustrated that no one seemed to be able to help her. I thought that there certainly must be a way to prevent these wheezing episodes. Finally I found a wonderful Pediatric Nurse Practitioner who specialized in asthma care. After working with her my daughter’s health drastically improved. I started thinking about going back to school….and here I am. Becoming a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and a Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (CPNP) has been the greatest decision of my life.