Book Review of Dixon and Stein’s Encounters With Children, 5th ed.

Dixon and Stein's Encounters with Children is an excellent guide for pediatric clinicians at every level of experience who aim for a richer experience in their care of children. Published 18 years after the last (fourth) edition edited by Drs. Suzanne Dixon and Martin Stein, the fifth edition adds a contemporary perspective to our daily pediatric practice. Dr. Jenny Radesky is a developmental-behavioral pediatrician and an established expert in media use in children who has long studied the intersection of mobile technologies, parent-child interaction, and behavioral regulation. Dr. Caroline Kistin is a pediatrician and a well-funded health services researcher who focuses on family mental health and the prevention of child maltreatment through community-level interventions. Considering the layered format of each chapter, 1 can easily appreciate the editors' expert touch deepening our understanding of care from their lens. In the new edition, the editors orient the reader to the changing landscape of pediatric practice with the mental health epidemic, increased role of digital media in children's lives, growing exposure to armed conflicts and natural disasters affecting children and their families of all backgrounds. Child development and behavior, despite being the fundamental science of pediatrics, sadly does not make the commensurate portion of our training. Encounters with Children continues to help fill the void by integrating stages of brain development across the life span into young adulthood. It helps clinicians understand the biological, psychological, and social framework around child development and by doing so lays the foundation for building their practice with child and family-oriented principles. The book also suggests a developmental approach to parenthood from the time the family expects a child to seeing their child grow into an adult. As the reader is guided through the laughter and the struggles of parenting across each developmental stage, they are motivated into greater humility and respect for the families they care for. As in the previous editions, the final chapters of the book brings an in-depth perspective on the “hard topics.” Chapters covering incarceration, illness, loss, violence, and death equip clinicians with tangible tools to address sensitive issues in their practice by building a community of support around them. Similarly, areas in infant development and behavior that most pediatric clinicians get limited experience in, e.g., developmentally responsive care in the NICU are explained with clear guidance on best practices. Recommendations are presented in a consistent framework for each age group and developmental stage. Chapters are divided with headings on what to Observe, what to Ask, and age-appropriate exam findings with Quick Checks at the end of each chapter, which makes it easier for the reader to follow. Typical and divergent developmental patterns are organized into observations in recognizable patterns with a Heads Up section at the end of the chapter pointing to alerting signs in respective stages of development. As the reader goes through ages, each chapter introduces and focuses on a certain aspect of development. For instance, while we learn about speech and language development in Two Years, self-concept and developing gender and racial identity are presented in Four Years. Theories of development are summarized early in the book and sprinkled throughout text across infancy, childhood, and adolescence to help the clinician conceptualize the behavior they see in front of them and also give them the tools to explain the behavior to the parents. As the current edition was published in 2024, the content aligns with the new CDC/AAP developmental milestones (released in 2022). For those interested in reading more on a certain topic, recommended readings are listed at the end of each chapter and an annotated bibliography of additional reference material is provided in the final chapter including books and internet resources for parents by topic and books for children and teenagers. Possibly, the most unique tradition of this book is the patient drawings because (of course) they are fun to view but more essentially drawings made during a clinical encounter may inform the clinician about a child's acquired skills in a more palpable way than a standardized parent questionnaire. As you go through the drawings in the book, you get to appreciate children's emotional world, things that make them feel confident or discouraged, and their wins and losses. The editors take a strength-based approach and aim to support families in their self-efficacy and coach clinicians in appreciating each family's individuality. The editors offer mentalization (understanding the mental state of one's self and others that leads to certain behavior) as a practical tool that we may all keep in our wheelhouse and refer back to during challenging encounters. Beyond the walls of the hospital and clinics, clinicians are empowered to extend their expertise in topics of advocacy for a larger impact in the health of children in their community. In summary, the new edition of this well-established reference book with decades of handed down expertise reinforces pediatricians' role in bringing out the potential of every encounter with a child and their family in making a positive impact in their physical, social-emotional, and relational health.