Benjamin Spock: Child

Benjamin Spock was American pediatrician and author of Baby and Child Care. Explore interesting quotes on child.

Benjamin Spock: 38 quotes1 like

“We used to think of cow's milk as a nearly perfect food. However, over the past several years, researchers have found new information that has caused many of us to change our opinion. This has provoked a lot of understandable controversy, but I have come to believe that cow's milk is not necessary for children. First, it turns out that the fat in cow's milk is not the kind of fat ("essential fatty acids") needed for brain development. Instead, milk fat is too rich in the saturated fats that promote artery blockages. Also, cow's milk can make it harder for a child to stay in iron balance. Milk is extremely low in iron and slows down iron absorption. It can also cause subtle blood loss in the digestive tract that causes the child to lose iron. … Some children have sensitivities to milk proteins, which show up as ear problems, respiratory problems, or skin conditions. Milk also has traces of antibiotics, estrogens, and other things a child does not need. There is, of course, nothing wrong with human breast milk — it is perfect for infants. For older children, there are many good soy and rice milk products and even nondairy "ice creams" that are well worth trying. If you are using cow's milk in your family, I would encourage you to give these alternatives a try.”

Source: Dr. Spock's Baby and Child Care (1945), Seventh edition (1998), p. 346

“In automobile terms, the child supplies the power but the parents have to do the steering.”

Dr. Spock's Baby and Child Care (1945)

“There are only two things a child will share willingly—communicable diseases and his mother's age.”

Dr. Spock's Baby and Child Care (1945)

“The fact is that child rearing is a long, hard job, the rewards are not always immediately obvious, the work is undervalued, and parents are just as human and almost as vulnerable as their children.”

Dr. Spock's Baby and Child Care (1945)