Children's Health Resources:
From Prenatal Care through the Teenage Years
Purpose:I designed this web guide to provide parents and caretakers with general information pertaining to children's health available on the Internet. Although these sources provide a wealth of information on children's health, they should never be substituted for advice from a qualified professional in cases of major illness. I provide this guide as a reference tool, not a medical tool.
Infants & Prenatal Care
Information for Pregnant Women This site, maintained by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, provides a wide array of information aimed at ensuring healthy pregnancies and healthy newborns. Mothers-to-be can link to online publications of the FDA to learn about the dangers of lead, the benefits of folic acid and many other important topics. The site also provides links to information found on other government and non-government websites.
California Department of Health Services This page, which is only a small part of the California Department of Health Services, provides access to educational materials related to preventing birth defects during pregnancy. Several reports are accessible in PDF format including a report on prenatal testing for women 35 and older.
How Folate Can Help Prevent Birth Defects This in-depth essay by Paula Kurtzweil provides an overview of the benefits of folic acid in preventing birth defects. The essay is provided as part of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's website.
Healthfinder A service of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, this searchable website provides information for innumberable health topics related to infants, children, teens, adults, seniors, women, etc. A one-stop health reference tool for the entire family!
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention The CDC provides an entire list of health topics related to infants and children. From airbags to tooth decay to lead poisoning, clickable links allow parents and caretakers to read up on a wide range of topics.
SIDS Network This website is devoted to informing the public about Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and Other Infant Death (SIDS/OID). Parents can find information on over one hundred topics related to SIDS. These topics are covered by experts in the field who share their expertise to answer questions about SIDS.
Infant Nutrition Part of the Texas Department of Health website, this page provides links to PDF files dealing with the importance of infant nutrition. The page also provides a questions and answers link.
CACFP Infant Meal Pattern A segment of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's website, this page provides desired meal plans for 3 age groups--birth thru 3 months, 4 thru 7 months and 8 thru 11 months. Each plan provides the infant with a diet suited to meet the nutrition needs of his/her age group.
Information for Women about Infant Formula Also provided by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, this site provides several links to online publications related to the pros and cons of infant formula.
Car Seat Safety This page, under the auspices of the American Academy of Pediatrics, provides important information on car seat safety. Parents and caregivers can link to several guides for choosing and installing proper car seats.
Publications of the American Academy of Pediatrics This page provides a brief bibliography of works related to child health. From nutrition to sleep to baby's first year, parents and caregivers have a variety of printed sources to choose from.
Children and Toddlers
Help Yourself to a Healthy Home This online government publication available on the Consumer Information Center's website, presents parents and caregivers with a variety of questions pertaining to home safety. The brochure follows up with information on a variety of topics including air toxins, lead poisoning and water pollutants.
Danger in the Home Another government publication available online from the Cosumer Information Center, this pamphlet asks the question "Is your home a healthy home for children?" Parents are able to view safety tips for virtually every room in their house!
Healthfinder Please see the entry under Infants and Prenatal Care for information.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Please see the entry under Infants and Prenatal Care for information.
ABC's of Safe and Healthy Child Care This site, under the auspices of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, provides fact sheets for numerous childhood diseases and conditions. From asthma to tetanus, it's all here!
Child and Teen Health Topics This site, provided by the National Library of Medicine, provides links to information on a wide array of health topics related to children and adolescents, such as chickenpox, ear infections and rubella.
Children's Cancer Web This site is actually a web guide devoted to web resources for children with cancer. Topics include specific disease information, childhood cancer organizations, and much more.
National Immunization Program This site, under the auspices of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, provides parents and caregivers with information on vaccine-preventable childhood diseases. Clickable links provide access to information on diptheria, measles, etc. A childhood vaccination schedule is also available.
Immunizations: What You Need to Know A part of the American Academy of Pediatrics' website, this page provides important information addressing why children should be vaccinated and the safety of vaccines. An immunization schedule is also included.
The Chicken Pox Vaccine: What Parents Need to Know This page, under the maintenance of the American Academy of Pediatrics, provides information on the chicken pox disease, likely candidates for the disease and the implications of the chicken pox vaccine.
How to Give Medicine to Children This government publication, provided online by the Consumer Information Center, provides important guidelines for parents and caregivers when giving children medicine. An informative and in-depth essay by Rebecca D. Williams.
Kids Aren't Just Small Adults This government publication, also available from the Consumer Information Center, provides essential information for administering nonprescription medicine to children.
Child/Adolescent Nutrition, Health & Physical Activity This site provides links to numerous web-based publications dealing with child and adolescent health issues. Topics covered include starting solid foods, obesity, fitness, and several others.
Helping Your Overweight Child This government publication, available online from the Consumer Information Center, contains information on the causes and remedies for childhood obesity. A list of additional readings and resources is provided.
How Can We Strengthen Children's Self-Esteem? This page provides important information on children's emotional health. A description of self-esteem and guidelines for building self-esteem are provided.
Publications of the American Academy of Pediatrics Please see the entry under Infants and Prenatal Care for information.
Adolescents
Healthfinder Please see entry under Infants and Prenatal Care for information.
Adolescents and Teens This site, under the auspices of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, provides information on health topics related to adolescents and teens. Clickable links provide information on injuries, school health, and other topics.
Child and Teen Health Topics Please see entry under Children and Toddlers for information.
Child/Adolescent Nutrition, Health and Physical Activity Please see entry under Children and Toddlers for information.
Adolescent Issues This site, under the auspices of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, provides information about health issues faced by adolescent girls. The site provides links to information on Growth and Development, Amenorrhea, Anorexia Nervosa and Bulemia Nervosa.
Created by Shannon M. Wardlow
November 2000
Email:Shannonwardlow@aol.com