Paediatrics and Child Health approaches the disorders of childhood by how they present to the practitioner or casualty officer. The reader is taken step-by-step through a maze of clinical presentations and the appropriate diseases are discussed at relevant or corresponding locations in the text. Only information essential to the future practitioner or casualty officer is included; rare conditions of limited clinial importance to the student are specifically excluded. The philosophy is to teach how to recogise the ill child who will require further investigation rather than encourage 'list learning' about rare diseases seen in teaching hospitals.

The book is designed for easy use with clear headings, colour-coded chapters and special 'At A Glance' boxes that summarize the key points of the important clinical presentations and disorders. Paediatric emergencies are highlighted in a separate chapter. The importance of the balance between the community and hospital paediatrics is reflected by the author team--two excellent teachers of community and hospital paediatrics.