The subject of clinical nutrition appears so simple, that everyone thinks that he/she knows everything. Yet, this is far from true, as the subject does not receive adequate emphasis in the training of doctors and nurses. It is a result of health professionals in general, inclined to minimize the importance of nutrition as a therapeutic tool. In the last fifty years, physiologic studies, research on the impact of good nutrition in immune functions of the body and in promotion of healing have been better appreciated, culminating in the statement made by Jean Carper, ‘Food is the breakthrough drug of the 21st century.’

The current emphasis on holistic medicine includes use of therapeutic diets in treatment of patients, whereas, in some conditions like galactosemia and other metabolic disorders and malnutrition, appropriate diets may be the only drug required to be administered. In numerous situations like chronic illnesses, cancer, congenital heart disease, Type II diabetes, kidney diseases, diet modification is equally important to patient's chances of recovery.

The present volume follows the same style of presentation in which the author first dwells on normal nutrition, the basic nutrient requirements of children right from infancy to adolescence and nutritional demands in specific conditions like different activities or lifestyle followed under varied conditions. Subsequently, the reader is led to more diverse settings like different pathological disturbances, metabolic, renal, cardiac and other systemic diseases likely to be encountered among the pediatric population. Finally, the author sets out to advise the routes of administration of dietetic formulae, which are appropriate for the relevant clinical state of the disease.

As in the previous two texts published by the author, the advice is based on sound nutritional principles and current knowledge of the subject; the exhaustive list of references provided at the end of each chapter reveals, the study and hard work that has been undertaken for compilation of each chapter. The book is a treasure house of advice on basic and therapeutic management of a sick child, knowledge of the principles of therapeutic diets and how to apply those while treating patients, which would make the reader a more effective healer. Chapters on Nutritional Management of Cancer and Bone Marrow Transplant in Children, Nutritional Management of Pediatric Heart Disease, Management of Severe Acute Malnutrition, and Probiotics—Role in Child Health and Role of Other Micronutrients in Children, all deal with a clinician's current concerns. Chapters on Maternal Nutrition in Pregnancy and Lactation, and Nutrition for Premature Infants are very informative and add to the value of the book.

The present book should be of equal value for general practitioners, pediatricians, nurses and dieticians. I know of no other creative dealing with the subject of normal and therapeutic nutrition for children, which covers the subject so simply and succinctly.

The earlier part of the book deals with nutritional management of children in healthy children, their needs and requirements through various phases of their growth, starting from infancy to the adolescent period. In 2010, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) updated certain standards for the nutritional assessment and requirements at various stages, which have also been incorporated in this compilation. More and more children are actively participating in sports and related performances, which alter their nutritional demands considerably. These children need to be counseled appropriately, so as to maintain a healthy balance between physical output and diet intake, thereby, enhancing their performance. This aspect has been dealt with explicitly in this book. The issue of maintaining a vegetarian eating pattern is of great concern for many parents, who may be confused regarding how best to meet the nutritional demands of their growing child, without compromising their religious sentiments. This issue has been explored herein, giving details of how to choose and plan a healthy diet for their kids.

Other aspects like food allergies, which are commonly encountered among children, the role of important micronutrients like fat soluble vitamin A and minerals like iron and calcium in the diet, and how the nutritional status can impact the onset of infections or vice versa, all have been covered in this compilation.

Obesity and malnutrition are two extreme conditions, which are seen to exist side-by-side. How nutritional management and counseling can help prevent and restore health has been dealt with extensively in this book. Illness, be it of any kind, can adversely affect the nutritional status of children, who are vulnerable to even minor setbacks on their physical status. The second-half of the book deals with various diseases ranging from the gastrointestinal tract, liver, kidneys, heart and Type I diabetes mellitus to some of the more acute problems like cancer and HIV infections, and how appropriate nutritional management can help tide over the difficult phases of the disease, thereby, helping in rehabilitation to the normal state. Finally, there are certain not so common diseases, yet encountered in sizeable numbers especially in referral hospitals, which have been touched upon like some of the metabolic diseases, cystic fibrosis, hypoglycemia and storage disorders.

It may be noted that all issues discussed herein ranging from health to disease, have been tackled so that it would be of benefit for the students from colleges and hospitals dealing with children. The author hopes that this book would serve as a useful guide for all students of nutrition and dietetics, medicine and nursing. It can well be a part of libraries of all medical and nursing institutes and home science colleges where nutrition and dietetics form a major component of the syllabi. It would not be an exaggeration to expect that this book would also find a place in the book shelves of all practitioners involved with child care.