Your Child's Health
This site was created by the Electronic Child Health Network, a nonprofit organization affiliated with the Hospital For Sick Children in Toronto, Ontario. It is divided into sections for both parents and children. The children's section has an age appropriate slide show discussing tonsillectomy, virtual tours of the hospital and games that teach children how to manage their asthma. The "My Child is Sick" section has detailed information on common children's health problems like constipation, croup, diarrhea, ear infections, fever, vomiting and febrile seizures. Other sections include information on tonsillectomy, breastfeeding, child safety, poisons and nutrition.

Mayo Clinic
A site developed by the famous Mayo Clinic in the U.S. Their tag line reads "Reliable info for a healthier life." They have sections on both pregnancy and children's health. Comprehensive articles on children's health cover first aid, parenting issues, pediatric diseases and conditions, and prevention and safety. The site also has interactive quizzes. Take the "poop quiz" to test your knowledge of children's bowel habits. "Ask the Mayo physician" lets you send in questions to be answered by a qualified doctor.

Kids Health
Created by the medical experts at the Nemours Foundation, an educational and charitable foundation, this site has a very extensive collection of articles separated into sections for parents, kids and teens. The parent's section has articles on general health, medical problems, growth and development, emotions and behavior, nutrition and fitness, infections, first aid and safety, pregnancy and newborns, positive parenting and a section on current health news. The kid's section has an interactive feature that teaches children about their body while the teen's section includes fun health horoscopes as well as answers to such teen concerns as "Am I still a virgin if I use a tampon?"

To read articles from medical journals online, check out:

• Pedatrics
• New England Journal of Medicine
• Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine

Children's Health Books

The 3 A.M. Handbook: The Most Commonly Asked Questions About Your Child's Health
by William Feldman (Editor), Hospital for Sick Children
(1997) Key Porter Books $24.95

This book was written by a team of pediatricians who work at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. It is a question-and-answer guide that includes chapters like "Fever: When is it Serious?" "Crying: How Much is Normal?" and "Spitting Up, Vomiting and Diarrhea."

The handbook also addresses the topics of choosing your child's doctor, toilet-training, sleeping, rashes, problems with eyes and ears, nutrition, safety, behavioral and learning problems, diseases and medical conditions and emergency first aid.

It is a good choice for parents who use only conventional medicine but has no information for those interested in alternative treatments.

Smart Medicine for a Healthier Child: A Practical A-To-Z Reference to Natural and Conventional Treatments for Infants and Children
by Janet Zand et al.
(1994) Avery Publishing Group $28.95

A physician, a naturopath, and a registered nurse who present an integrated approach to childcare wrote this book. Organized in three sections, the first offers an overview of conventional medicine, homeopathy, acupressure, diet, and nutrition and includes information on choosing health professionals, pregnancy, newborn care, and home safety. The second section is an alphabetical listing of common childhood health problems with explanations and treatments. Instructions for applying the treatments discussed in this section appear in Part 3.

The book ends with a glossary, bibliography, and lists of hotlines, resource organizations, and suppliers of alternative health products.

Encyclopedia of Natural Health & Healing for Children
by Marcea Weber
(1992) Prima Publishing $19.95

This book was written as a collaborative effort between Marcea Weber and nine other natural health practitioners with expertise in the areas of Chinese medicine, nutrition, herbalism, homeopathy, acupuncture, and massage therapy.

It is also divided into three sections. Section 1 is titled Natural Health and Healing and describes naturopathic medicine, herbalism, home remedies, homeopathy, Chinese medicine and massage. Section 2 is called Preventive Care and includes information on nutrition, sleep, touch, vaccinations and ways to boost your child's immune system. Section 3 is an A-Z guide to children's complaints that describes each health problem and then lists various alternative treatments, with information on age appropriate dosages.