Child's Doctor
I feel it is best to err on the side of caution and if you aren't sure if your child is sick enough to call the doctor to call anyway. I'm not saying I call my child's doctor if my son has a stuffy nose, I've actually only called twice in the middle of the night, once when he was crying inconsolably the entire night (the next day we found out he had an ear infection) and once when he was vomiting for several hours and started to vomit bile.

Both times my child ended up being fine but I'm glad I called. I trusted my mommy instinct that something was wrong and followed up with a medical professional. In addition to calling on those occasions I also did at least one of the following listed below, such as reading my baby books, checking on the internet, and calling a 24 hour nurse line.
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Drug Store Pharmacy
I've called my local CVS 24 hour pharmacy on many occasions. They may not know the medical history of my child but I can get general questions answered about medications. I also love our local compounded pharmacy contact and I have contacted him on occasions, usually about my son's reflux medication to find out what his other customers take for reflux.
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Insurance 24 Hour Nurse Line
I sometimes forget about my insurance's 24 hour nurse line. I believe most main health insurance carriers like AETNA and Blue Cross Blue Shield offer a free 24 hour nurse line for members. I recently called this line to discuss what is the best course of action to take for my son when he was continuously vomiting. I felt much better after my discussion with the nurse. It was a good alternative to calling the doctor back a second time as the doctor didn't seem concerned the first time we talked to him but I needed some additional reassurance.
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Baby Books
I frequently refer back to baby books for guidance. Two of my favorites are:

The Baby Book: Everything You Need to Know About Your Baby - From Birth to Age Two by William Sears, M.D., and Martha Sears, R.N. with Robert Sears, M.D., and James Sears, M.D. I enjoy reading information written by the Sears family since they offer real-life practical advice with the added benefit of being written by medical professionals.

Dr. Spock’s Baby and Child Care by Benjamin Spock, M.D. Updated and Revised by Robert Needleman, M.D. This is a quick resources for baby and child care questions.

Please refer to the "Medical Resources" article for a full list of all of the resources I've come across.
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Check the Internet
I usually always do a search for my son's symptoms on the internet. The internet can be good and bad as there is a wealth of knowledge but you do not know what information is reputable or not. I also prefer going back to web sites that I've referred to in the past. Two of my favorites are:

Dr. Alan Greene – as stated on the “About Dr. Greene” has “devoted himself to freely giving real answers to parents’ real questions….” His web site and books promote “green” living. Please refer to his site - http://www.drgreene.com

The Sears Family Web site written by William Sears, M.D.,Martha Sears, R.N., James Sears, M.D. and Robert Sears, M.D. - http://askdrsears.com. I enjoy reading information written by the Sears family since they offer practical advice with the added benefit of being written by medical professionals.

You may also want to refer to the following web sites in addition to your child's pediatrician's site:

American Academy of Family Physicians (“AAFP”) - http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home.html

American Academy of Pediatrics
- General Information - http://aap.org
- Publications - http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/index.dtl
- Interactive Parenting web site - http://www.healthychildren.org

(To Top) Last updated: May 2010

Reading Program - Teach your baby or child to read

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