In a sea of conflicting and confusing health information, parents have always turned to their family pediatrician as a trusted source of advice. Now, in a virtual extension of the pediatrician’s office, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is bringing pediatrician-approved health information to the Internet with the launch of HealthyChildren.org.

Backed by 60,000 pediatricians, HealthyChildren.org offers trustworthy, up-to-the-minute health advice and guidance for parents and caregivers, along with interactive tools and personalized content.

“Parents have hundreds of questions about their children’s health, and they want detailed answers,” said Jennifer Shu, MD, FAAP, a practicing pediatrician and medical editor of HealthyChildren.org. “HealthyChildren.org empowers parents to be proactive about their children’s health, whether it’s learning about the vaccines their infant needs, the developmental milestones to watch for in their toddler, or how to stay connected with their teenager.”

The Web site is divided into multiple, user-friendly sections, including:

• Ages & Stages: Information on the health issues of infants through adolescents, including interactive content on developmental milestones.
• Healthy Living: Up-to-date guidance on fitness, sports, oral health, emotional wellness and nutrition.
• Safety & Prevention: Preparing for health scenarios that occur at home, school and on the go, as well as in-depth information on the immunizations children need to stay healthy.
• Health Issues: An exhaustive, A-to-Z list of more than 300 health care topics.

Parents can learn about seasonal health issues or read about the latest scientific research and AAP policies. By registering with the site, visitors can customize the information based on their children’s ages and health topics. The “Ask the Pediatrician” tool allows parents to browse a list of frequently asked questions, or pose their own questions. And a pediatrician finder makes it easy for both first-time and experienced parents to find an AAP-member pediatrician in their area.

All content is developed and reviewed by leading child health experts and reflects the latest scientific research.

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