These days the most useful sources for further information are online. However, as the saying goes, the Internet is miles wide but inches deep. There is a lot of information out there, but some of it is wrong or inadequate. I have looked at all of the sites I list here, and their information is reliable. There are many useful places to find good advice about children’s health. The best ones are maintained by prominent children’s hospitals and medical organizations—check at your local children’s hospital to see if they have one—but here are some good places to go.
The American Academy of Pediatrics: www.healthychildren.org
The American Academy of Family Physicians: www.aafp.org
The Mayo Clinic: www.mayoclinic.com
Boston Children’s Hospital: www.childrenshospital.org
The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia: www.chop.edu
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital: www.cincinnatichildrens.org/patients/child/health/
The Children’s Hospital of Colorado: www.childrenscolorado.org
Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles: www.chla.org
Seattle Children’s Hospital: www.seattlechildrens.org
Nemours Children’s Hospital: http://kidshealth.org
There are also excellent blogs maintained by pediatricians where you can find reliable information and interact with the blog owner, read about other parents’ experiences, and even contribute yourself. This is a rapidly changing area, of course, but here is a sampling of some excellent pediatric blogs that have been around for several years at least and are maintained by pediatricians who frequently post informative essays. None of them pitch products—just simple information exchange.
Dr. Wendy Sue Swanson’s blog: http://seattlemamadoc.seattlechildrens.org
Dr. Claire McCarthy’s blog: http://childrenshospitalblog.org
Dr. Natasha Burgert’s blog: http://kckidsdoc.com
My own blog: www.chrisjohnsonmd.com/blog/
The important thing about fever is to understand what it is—a sign of something else and not a disease in itself. Respect it, but do not have “fever phobia.” Here are some places where you can find further information.
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/127/3/580.full
www.kevinmd.com/blog/2011/08/fever-children-5-facts.html
www.parenting.com/category/conditions/fever
www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm263989.htm
www.uptodate.com/contents/fever-in-children-beyond-the-basics
Remember that very few of these conditions need immediate treatment in the emergency department. Most do not need any specific treatment at all. Here are some places you can find out more about these common conditions.
http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/eyes/childs_cough.html
http://kidshealth.org/kid/talk/qa/sneeze.html
www.uptodate.com/contents/sore-throat-in-children-beyond-the-basics
www.seattlechildrens.org/medical-conditions/symptom-index/sore-throat/
www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/ear-nose-throat/pages/Earaches-and-Your-Child.aspx
www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/hearing/pages/earinfections.aspx
Unlike URI symptoms, breathing troubles in the middle of the night not uncommonly need prompt evaluation. What parents need is guidance in deciding if this is the case with their child. These links will help you do that (some are to my own blog) as well as teach you much more about asthma, croup, pneumonia, and bronchiolitis.
www.uptodate.com/contents/asthma-treatment-in-children-beyond-the-basics
www.chrisjohnsonmd.com/2013/02/08/all-about-croup/
www.chrisjohnsonmd.com/2011/11/08/its-time-once-again-for-bronchiolitis-and-respiratory-syncytial-virus-rsv/
http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/lung/pneumonia.html
Most stomach aches and mild-to-moderate diarrhea episodes can be watched at home, but a few need a middle-of-the-night trip to the emergency department. These links will give you more information about the possibility of your child having significant dehydration or other issues that need prompt attention, including the potential for requiring surgery.
http://children.webmd.com/tc/abdominal-pain-age-11-and-younger-topic-overview
www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002466.htm
www.mayoclinic.com/health/dehydration
http://kidshealth.org/parent/firstaid_safe/emergencies/dehydration.html
www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/abdominal/pages/Appendicitis.aspx
www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/abdominal/pages/Abdominal-Pain-in-Children.aspx
Additional background information about head injuries is helpful, and a couple of these links contain that. But what a parent really needs help with is deciding if a particular head injury is worrisome enough that they should take their child to the emergency department. Several of these links will help you do that.
http://kidshealth.org/parent/firstaid_safe/emergencies/head_injury.html#
www.uptodate.com/contents/head-injury-in-children-and-adolescents-beyond-the-basics
www.childrenshospital.org/az/Site985/mainpageS985P0.html
www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/injuries-emergencies/pages/Head-Injury.aspx
Most of these injuries are minor and do not need an emergency department visit. Even those injuries that need attention can often wait until morning. But for some children, the emergency department can provide treatment that makes them feel better quicker. For a few children, such as those with broken bones, a prompt trip to the emergency department is necessary. These links will help you decide which of those categories describes your child.
www.chop.edu/healthinfo/sprains-and-strains.html
www.chw.org/display/PPF/DocID/22592/router.asp
http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00039
http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00424
http://reference.medscape.com/features/slideshow/pediatric-fractures
http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/aches/b_bone.html
www.cincinnatichildrens.org/health/f/fractures/
As you read in chapter 9, any but the most superficial lacerations are best taken care of in the emergency department soon after they happen. Simple burns can often be managed at home, but some of them also need prompt attention. These links give you more detailed information about what to do for your child. The last link in the list is a video of how lacerations are repaired.
www.chop.edu/healthinfo/lacerations-with-stitches.html
www.childrenshospital.org/az/Site1216/mainpageS1216P0.html
www.aafp.org/afp/2008/1015/p945.html
www.safedragon.com/htmlfold/contents/emergen/experts/emergenexpert.html
www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3sLn6Zu9H8
Very few rashes need a trip to the emergency department. Chapter 10 described categories of rashes, but pictures are the best description. These links all have them. The last link gives you a picture of petechiae, the serious rash that does need a doctor’s prompt evaluation.
www.emedicinehealth.com/skin_rashes_in_children/article_em.htm
http://children.webmd.com/ss/slideshow-common-childhood-skin-problems
www.seattlechildrens.org/kids-health/page.aspx?id=60253
http://children.webmd.com/tc/rash-age-11-and-younger-topic-overview
www.mayoclinic.com/health/petechiae/MY01104
As you learned in this chapter, the most important thing to know about overdoses and poisonings, and serious bites too, is the number of Poison Control. Once again, that number is 1-800-222-1222. There are a vast number of things children can ingest. These links give you more information about many of the common ones. The last link on the list is about venomous-snake bites.
www.aafp.org/afp/2009/0301/p397.html
www.medscape.com/viewarticle/589474
www.mayoclinic.com/health/acetaminophen/ho00002/nsectiongroup=2
www.hopkinsmedicine.org/healthlibrary/conditions/pediatrics/snake_bites_and_children_90,P02849/
Headaches are common and rarely need immediate attention, but convulsions, or seizures, are not so common and generally do need a doctor’s prompt evaluation. Persistent alteration in a child’s level of awareness also generally needs prompt attention. These links give more information about how a child’s brain works and what to do if your child develops problems with his. The last link is about ALTEs.
www.mayoclinic.com/health/headaches-in-children/DS01132
www.childrenshospital.org/az/Site986/mainpageS986P0.html
www.epilepsyfoundation.org/livingwithepilepsy/parentsandcaregivers/parents/typesofseizures.cfm
http://pediatrics.uchicago.edu/chiefs/inpatient/ALTE.htm
Some severe allergic reactions require a visit to the emergency department, or even a 911 call. These links tell you more about allergies, including additional background about what they are and what we do to treat them.
www.chw.org/display/PPF/DocID/21539/router.asp
http://kidshealth.org/parent/firstaid_safe/emergencies/anaphylaxis.html
http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/allergies/allergy.html
www.childrenshospital.org/az/Site924/mainpageS924P0.html
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001815/