author
L. Emmett (Luther Emmett) Holt
1855–1924
A pioneering American pediatrician, he helped shape modern child health care and became widely known for clear, practical advice on infant care. His writing reached both doctors and parents, making him one of the most influential child-health voices of his era.
1 Audiobook
The Care and Feeding of Children A Catechism for the Use of Mothers and Children's Nurses
by L. Emmett (Luther Emmett) Holt
About the author
Born in Webster, New York, in 1855, Luther Emmett Holt trained as a physician in New York and went on to become a leading figure in American pediatrics. He is especially remembered for The Care and Feeding of Children (1894), a hugely influential guide that brought medical advice on infant and child care to a broad audience.
Holt also built his reputation through hospital work, teaching, and medical writing. He served at Babies Hospital in New York and was a professor at Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons, helping establish pediatrics as a more organized and respected specialty in the United States.
In addition to writing for parents, he produced major professional texts and published extensively on children’s diseases and nutrition. He died in 1924 in Peking, China, leaving behind a legacy as a physician, teacher, and author whose work shaped child care for decades.