Want to know more about paediatrics?
Paediatrics is a branch of medicine that specialises in the medical care of infants, children, adolescents and babies with age ranging from birth to 18-years. The doctors are known as paediatricians and the word is derived from Greek meaning healer of children. The smaller body size of an infant is significantly different from that of adult and congenital defects, genetic variance and development issues are often a greater concern to paediatricians than to adult physicians. The main difference is that children are considered minors and are not able to make decisions concerning health matters for themselves and this raises issues of guardianship and legal responsibility which must be considered with every procedure and often the paediatrician must treat the family and the adults as well as the minors. Adolescents have the legal right to make their own health care decisions in certain circumstances with the paediatricians giving emotional as well as medical support. Sub-specialities include paediatric neurophysiology, paediatric ophthalmology, paediatric endocrinology, paediatric oncology, paediatric pulmonology and neonatology. Below is a list of ten of the best sites on the Internet today for paediatrics and children’s health. All the sites give good information which will be very valuable to anyone with children or infants that requires knowledge on the subject.
1. Kidshealth – http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/body_basics/immune.html
This is a very popular children’s health website with sections for adults, children and teens. Detailed explanations of the immune system can be found along with growth and development, infections, diseases and conditions, emotions and behaviour, first aid and safety and medications as well as doctors and hospitals, nutrition and fitness and school and family life. There is a special section dedicated to pregnancy and babies and a search facility is given for researching illnesses. There is even a list of healthy recipes and the site is available in Spanish.
2. Virtual Paediatric Hospital – http://virtualpediatrichospital.org/
Virtual Paediatric Hospital is a virtual health sciences library dedicated to educating parents, health care providers and adolescents in paediatrics. Quick answers to common questions are provided in textbook style for patients and providers. Subjects such as back pain in children, airway problems and diseases can be found with diagrams given for assistance. There is a full FAQ and reviews to read and useful links are given for further information.
3. Paediatric Group – www.pediatricgroup.com
The Paediatric Group is in its 35th year and is committed to developing trust with families in a warm environment. A care-line is provided along with a service for repeat prescriptions and online forms and locations can be found. There are sections for information on breast-feeding, newborns, parenting tips, child behaviour, medical conditions, teens and immunisation with a special section containing suggested reading materials for parents.
4. Paediatric Associates – http://www.mypediatricassociates.com/
This site contains frequently asked questions, news and updates for providing child care. You can contact them 365 days of the year and they have many different locations throughout the U.S. Information can be found in sections called my well child, my sick child, my new born, and my new patient as well as a section for paediatric advisors. Each section has related content such as immunisation and vaccines and an A-Z list of all illnesses can be found.
5. AAPD – http://www.aapd.org/
This is the official site of the American Academy of Paediatric Dentistry, which is recognised as one of the leading authorities on children’s teeth. Information can be gained from press releases and news releases and you can discover how to ensure your child has a healthy smile. Policies and guidelines are given along with brochures, journals and publications and you can search for a paediatric dentist in your local area. There is a photo library and a directory in resources and joining the site is encouraged.
6. World Pediatric Project – www.worldpediatricproject.org
This is a very worthwhile cause which donates medical services from the medical community and gives hundreds of children first time access to critical care. A video demonstration shows how the company operates and helps the children in need and there is a news section, a blog and a section for events so you can keep abreast and up-to-date. The organisation raised 7 million dollars last year and details of how to donate can be found on the site.
7. Pampers – http://www.pampers.co.uk/preschooler/preschooler-health
This site has a section for children’s health, which is part of the company Proctor and Gamble. A section for pre-school health is given with topics including development, diet, skincare, hygiene and potty training with details on sleep and safety as well as a forum also available for assistance. Other topics discussed include breast-feeding and pregnancy and there are also games and activities for the children and family to play.
8. Netdoctor- http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/children/index.shtml
The Netdoctor has a wide range of facts regarding children’s health including sections for treatments and conditions, healthy living with a healthy living A-Z index and a health service with videos to view, a symptom checker and online doctor services. There are slideshows and support groups with many articles to read and you can sign up to receive the newsletter. There is a section for accidents and first aid with tips on parenting and fitness and a section for healthy recipes is also available.
9. Care – http://www.care.org/careswork/whatwedo/health/children.asp
This site is dedicated to preventing the spread of childhood diseases and in particular the HIV virus and AIDS in under-developed countries. You can read feature stories, publications and press releases as well as view videos and photos in the gallery. You can participate in the blog and read about the work of the organisation as well as peruse details of current campaigns including climate change and violence. There is a section for donations and you can opt to send your money for drinking water or for health.
10. Medline – http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/childrenshealth.html
This site is concerned with the physical, mental and social well-being of children. There is a medical encyclopaedia for symptoms and treatments along with preventions, statistics and health check tools. Information can be found in many related topics such as child dental care, immunisation, hearing problems and issues for babies up to teens. A special section is dedicated to health, diet and exercise and there is a section for drugs and supplements as well.
