The New Basics HighLights

Air Travel
No matter what you've read, says Dr. Michel, parents can fly with a baby early on, and they need take no special measures when doing so. For example, force-feeding a baby to relieve air pressure, as most baby books recommend, is both ludicrous and unnecessary.

Antibiotics
"Everyone agrees that antibiotics are overused, but everyone overuses them." The New Basics describes those situations when antibiotics are overused and why. The book also helps parents decide when these drugs may or may not be appropriate.

Attention Deficit Disorder
ADD is a grossly over-diagnosed condition. From Dr. Michel's point of view, many cases result from a child's inability to handle frustration and to integrate boundaries, two functions of maturation that should - but don't always - start at the toddler stage. Unfortunately, when kids don't develop these abilities, doctors and parents may be too quick to administer stimulants such as Ritalin. By explaining how to set proper boundaries and how to help toddlers develop frustration-management skills, The New Basics helps parents prevent the conditions that lead to ADD.

Breastfeeding: Back to Basics
Dr. Michel takes a stand against the "medicalization" of breastfeeding. He encourages parents to avoid counting, regimenting, and analyzing this most natural of processes, and to steer clear of so-called "lactation experts." Rely on instinct, he says, and he provides guidance for how to do that.

Breastfeeding and Diet
Countless myths have arisen about the maternal diet and breastfeeding, but Dr. Michel debunks them all, advising mothers to eat virtually any foods they want. There's no reason for new moms to deprive themselves, he writes, and he encourages moms to ignore what he calls "misogynistic" warnings against chocolate.

Bronchitis: a Misnomer
Doctors are quick to slap the "bronchitis" label on any simple but lingering viral cough and to prescribe antibiotics, often just to appease an exasperated parent. This course of treatment achieves nothing, and it promotes antibiotic resistance. Kids rarely get actual bronchitis, says Dr. Michel.

Burpmania
The longstanding myth of the mandatory burp dates back to the era when parents were instructed to feed set amounts at rigid intervals. Now that babies feed on demand (especially those who breastfeed), they're less prone to regurgitation, which makes burping less important. Furthermore, aggressively burping a baby to relieve fussiness will only make that baby fussier still.

Calcium: Simply Elemental
Lately, calcium is the most fashionable of elements, thanks to concerns about bone density and early osteoporosis. But adequate amounts of this nutrient are readily available in a regular, commonsensical diet, and additional supplementation is not beneficial. By the same token, kids needn't chug gallons of milk to achieve their daily calcium requirements.

Cereals: No Push for the Mush
Dr. Michel says there is simply no need for baby cereal. Starting kids early on a grain blend was advocated years ago, when feeding a baby at three months of age was thought to be beneficial. Nowadays, we introduce solid foods later on, so Dr. Michel advises parents to skip the cereals entirely and start baby on fruits and vegetables right away. Cereals' other virtues, such as their iron content and usefulness in helping a baby to sleep through the night, are exaggerated or even mythical, he says.

Ear Infections: Antibiotic Resistance and Doctors' Resilience
For many years now, medical research has clearly shown that ear infections resolve just as well with or without antibiotics. Despite the scientific evidence, doctors continue to medicate children for ear infections. Dr. Michel helps parents decide when and why a watchful, conservative approach is the best option, and when medication may be warranted.

Ear Tubes: Hearing through Gizmos
This simple surgical procedure, performed on young children who are prone to ear infections, is widely over-prescribed, says Dr. Michel. He outlines when the procedure is recommended and when it is not, and what to expect if a parent does opt to have the gizmos inserted.

Eggs: Ovophobia
Books and experts warn parents about young children's risk of egg allergies. In reality, such allergies are extremely rare, and, contrary to what the "egg-sperts" say, young babies can eat not just the white, not just the yolk, but the whole thing. (Skip the shell, though.)

Pinkeye and Eye Drops
Pinkeye, a self-limiting viral infection, will not respond to antibiotics. However, it is commonly treated with a topical antibiotic, because people confuse it with a more severe bacterial eye infection which does require antibiotics.

The Solid Foods Challenge
Almost all baby books make the introduction of solid foods sound like a dangerous scientific experiment. Their unwarranted warnings and silly schedules serve no purpose other than to promote the baby food industry, which benefits from all these rules and regulations by presenting baby jars as a "safe" option. Dr. Michel explains that, on the contrary, feeding a baby solid food is a natural and straightforward process, which parents should approach liberally and with a sense of fun.

Food Allergies and Intolerance
Adverse reactions to foods are much rarer than commonly believed, argues Dr. Michel. Because delaying the introduction of specific "allergenic foods" won't prevent reactions, there's no reason not to include them when first introducing an infant to solids.

Humidifiers: a Lot of Hot Air
This common household item may not be as useful as commonly believed. Dr. Michel explains that humidified air has not been proven to soothe the airway, and it may actually promote bacterial growth. His advice? Don't even bother with one.

Yellow Baby
Jaundice is a mild occurrence in babies; it's harmless and should be ignored in most cases. It's a good example of how excessive medical intervention often leads to unwarranted postnatal treatments, which result in maternal separation, which can in turn cause breastfeeding difficulties. Dr. Michel provides clear guidelines for dealing with moderate jaundice, warning against unnecessary measures such as feeding a baby formula and increasing exposure to sunlight, neither of which reduces jaundice significantly.

Decriminalizing Cow's Milk
Despite the bad rap it's gotten in the last few years, says Dr. Michel, cow's milk is a good nutrient. It's not great when consumed in excess, but it's also not necessary if a child doesn't care for it, since calcium can be found in many other common foods. He also takes on other milk myths such as "milk and mucus production."

When to Take Junior Outside
Baby books offer many theories regarding when to take a baby out in public. Dr. Michel is succinct on the topic: "As soon as you can get up and walk." There is no need to stay home with a newborn or to avoid exposure to strangers; babies' immune systems are stronger than people think.

Reflux
Reflux (the abnormal regurgitation of food from the stomach) is currently the most fashionable diagnosis in adults and in babies. Everyone seems to have it, if you believe the common wisdom. But reflux, according to Dr. Michel, is both over-diagnosed and overtreated, especially in infants. Babies that cry a little more than average are often erroneously labeled and treated for reflux. Dr. Michel explains that regurgitation is normal for babies, and advises parents not to rush to offer unnecessary medications as a quick fix.

"Clockwork"
Some baby books are entirely devoted to developing a baby's feeding and sleeping schedule. In reality, such efforts are fruitless, because a baby will impose her rhythm on the parents no matter what they do. Dr. Michel explains how a workable schedule will occur naturally without any planning and intervention, and he explains how to achieve that with as little pain as possible.

Sensory Integration
This term is a catchall to describe children whose behavior falls outside the "normal" parameters. The average school or daycare center has little tolerance for a child who doesn't fit the mold, and is often quick to label a kid who's less sociable than the others. Dr. Michel provides guidelines for parents whose children have been labeled with sensory integration, and advice on what intervention to provide, if any.

Sinusitis and Green Snot
Though common at the end of a cold, green mucus is not an automatic indicator of sinusitis, which is actually quite rare in younger kids, no matter what people say or write. Lingering colds with persistent mucus production are often mistaken for sinusitis and treated unnecessarily with antibiotics.

Sleep
Why do some babies learn to sleep through the night, while others keep their parents on the go till dawn? Dr. Michel provides simple, effective methods to foster or fix sleeping habits, whether the baby is two, four, eight, 12, or 18 months old.

Toilet Training: Another Misnomer
"No matter what you may have heard or read, toilet training is unnecessary." Babies eventually become tired of "marinating in their own dirty diapers" and come to see the value of using a toilet, says Dr. Michel, who provides specific dos and don'ts for implementing his laissez-faire approach without putting undue pressure on the kids.

Tummy Time
Skip it altogether, says Dr. Michel, who explains why tummy time, something everyone talks about, is unnecessary. Babies don't need to strengthen any specific muscle group, so if parents must be their babies' personal trainers, they may as well work on developing those giggling muscles instead.