Dr. Michael Lester, a Canadian physician, is the host for this comprehensive series, which covers infant medical concerns from birth to 2 years. We watched the opening volume, an indexed guide to over 30 areas, ranging from general comments about child rearing to specific advice about wandering eye. Much of the video is of Lester sitting and talking, though we do see the doctor performing an infant physical exam. Topics covered included jaundice (a fairly technical discussion), the fontanel (or "soft spot"), oral thrush, bowed legs, circumcision, cradle cap, and various rashes. While the program was far more in-depth than most infant care videos, we had some serious reservations. First, the medical terminology would confuse a lot of parents (especially when the spellings were sometimes wrong ["naval" pertains to warships not belly buttons, and "enythema" is an incorrect spelling of "erythema"]). Second, an advertisement for Baby One soap appears before the program starts (no problem), but the product is later referred to in a couple of diaper rash and skin care segments (a clear crossing of the line between commercial and content). Finally, on a project this large, I would have liked to see the series peer-reviewed, but Dr. Lester is the only M.D. listed in the credits. Larger health care collections who are willing to overlook some of these concerns will find lots of good information at an excellent price; for others this has to be an optional purchase. Your Baby: A Video Guide to Care and Understanding With Penelope Leach (VL-9/90), though older, is still my favorite in this area. (R. Pitman)
House Calls
(1995) 9 videocassettes, approx. 60-80 min. each. $14.99 each. Gershone Hirsch Communications. PPR. Color cover. Vol. 10, Issue 6
House Calls
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