The 18th edition of Pediatrics, edited by Abraham M. Rudolph and Julien Hoffman, is a thoroughly updated compendium of current pediatric knowledge. While preserving the format and size of previous editions, areas of major advance are concisely updated.
The first section, "Aspects of Child Health," gives an interesting overview of historical perspectives and recent changes in Pediatrics. The section on "Ethics of Pediatric Medicine" is reorganized slightly but retains the effective style of contrasting brief case presentations to highlight ethical issues. The chapter on immunizations contains a solid core of information about the use of common vaccines. However, in light of the controversies and evolving research surrounding currently used and new immunizations, a more detailed treatment of this topic would have been useful.
Chapters 3 through 8, dealing with well child care issues, have many useful additions and changes. The chapters on adolescence are expanded, with eating disorders receiving special