As no doubt several of our families have already discovered, the internet is an invaluable source of medical information for both physicians and families alike. However, we must remind ourselves, this medium can also be a large source of medical misinformation. Remember to always consider the source of the information you are reading and never forget that a dialogue between yourself and your pediatrician is still the best source of information for you and your child.

     This list is by no means exhaustive. If you have a site that you feel would be valuable to other parents, let Dr. Hynes know the next time you are in the office, and after review, we will consider adding it to this list.

THE TUFTS UNIVERSITY CHILD AND FAMILY WEB GUIDE.
www.cfw.tufts.edu
Finally, one stop shopping for accurate medical information on the health of your child.  Tufts University has received numerous swards for their newly designed web page, and rightfully so.  This is hands down one of the best sites I've found in the years I've spend "surfing the Web".

AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS
www.aap.org
Our primary source of information with several links to additional sites all reviewed by the academy. Be sure to look at the safety section for information about car seats and the Injury Prevention Program (TIPP).

KIDS HEALTH
www.kidsgrowth.com/index2.cfm

TEEN GROWTH
www.teengrowth.com
These sites offer everything from parenting tips to information about illnesses and health problems. The teen site is specifically designed fro teens to surf alone.

CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION             
www.cpsc.gov/
This is the single best site for information in RECALLS for just about everything. You can also sign up to receive updates on recalls by email by sending a message to listproc@cpsc.gov with "join CPSCINFO-L" in the message area.

CENTER OF DISEASE CONTROL TRAVEL PAGE         
www.cdc.gov/travel/index.htm#Geographic
If you plan to travel out of the country, this is where to go to find out all the little "presents" (immunizations) you should receive before going off to that uncharted island in the middle of nowhere. Also, make sure to look at the CDC main site for links to reliable information on vaccine safety.

THE HARRIET LANE LINK BOOK                             
www.med.jhu.edu/peds/neonatology/
This site has been up almost as long as the internet itself. In all that time you would think they would have found a better way to organize the information. This is the site run by John Hopkins University Department of Pediatrics. It has both general and more specific medical information with more than 5,000 links to additional information on each subject.

ZERO TO THREE
http://zerotothree.org
This is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the healthy development of babies and infants and is always worth a visit.

NATIONAL INFORMATION CENTER FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH WITH DISABILITIES                                  
www.nichcy.org/
If you have a child with disabilities, this site can be an invaluable resource. It contains publications, FAQs and a list of resources available to children with disabilities in each state.

OUR KIDS
www.our-kids.org
Similar to the site above.

NATIONAL CENTER FOR COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE                                            
www.nccam.nih.gov/
Forget all the sites that try to sell you all their "cures". The National Institute of Health has created a one-stop website to get you up to speed on most areas of alternative and herbal medicine. Included are handouts for patients, FAQs and relevant links to NIH databases.

AMERICAN ACADEMY OF CHILD AND ADOLESCENT
www.aacap.org/publications/factsfam/index.htm
This site has a large collection of parent handouts on psychiatric issues and behavioral issues.

PEDIATRIC DEVELOPMENT AND BEHAVIOR       
www.dbpeds.org
This site is a little more involved than the one above. Pay attention to the guide on the left of the screen, especially the links and the handout sections.

TOP TWENTY PEDIATRIC ILLNESS AND SYMPTOMS
http://www79943.temp.w1.com/ParentCare/TopTwenty.html
This is a website compiled by Barton Schmidt M.D., a leading expert in child care.  It provides detailed information on the top 20 diagnoses in Pediatrics.  These guidelines are just that, guidelines, and are not meant to replace a visit to the doctor.  If you read these and have questions about what you should do, please call our office for further advice or let us examine your child if  they appear to be ill.

AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS - IMMUNIZATION WEBSITE.
http://www.cispimmunize.org/
This is the Academy’s website to provide information about the vaccine preventable illnesses and the safety of the vaccines that we use.

CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL - NATIONAL IMMUNIZATION PROGRAM
www.cdc.gov/nip/default.htm
This is your most complete resource for up to date vaccine information from illnesses, vaccines, safety, side effects, etc.  Please pay special attention to the “Why Immunize” section if you have any questions on why vaccines are necessary.

CINCINNATI CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL
www.cincinnatichildrens.org/health/info/default.htm
Excellent resource from the University of Cincinnati that covers a wide range of pediatric topics.

AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ALLERGY, ASTHMA AN D IMMUNOLOGY
www.aaaai.org/
Excellent site if you are the parent of an allergy or asthma child.  Pay particular attention to the Patient and Consumer Section on the right column and you can click to search by Illness or Condition in the column on the left.

KEEP KIDS HEALTHY
www.keepkidshealthy.com
Another good information web portal covering from birth through adolescence.  More information than anyone could, or should, try to absorb in a single setting.