Babes and Kids

Kid Emergencies is a free site that was developed by a pediatrician, Dr. Marty Belson.
I love this site because it is a one stop source for any question a concerned parent might have when something goes wrong with their child. It can help you make that informed decision as to whether or not you should take your child in to be seen by a dr.

The site has listed the most common emergencies. When you click on a specific category, it offers statistics and information, signs and symptoms, what you should do, and how a doctor would evaluate the situation.

And if all that isn't awesome enough, you can even contact Dr. Marty and ask him your questions. You can also read about questions from other readers.

My other favorite features about the site:

1. There is an Emergency Checklist you can post on your fridge. On it you can write your contact information, times when you should call your pediatrician, poison control, or 911. It also tells you about ER visits and gives tips and advice as to what to expect and what you can do for a smooth visit.

2. They have a link for all Poison Control numbers! This is perfect, especially if you don't have access to a phone book. Last week, we were at the daycare of our local rec center, where I do a trade and work in the daycare for a free membership. It was warm enough that they let all of the kids out on the playground. A few minutes later, I noticed something in Rowan's (my 14 month old) mouth. It looked like ice. Upon further investigation, we found out it was ice melt. It had snowed a few days prior and someone was very careless with the ice melt. He started gagging like he was going to vomit and I started to panic. We had to find a phone book and then proceed to look up the Poison Control number. It seemed like forever before we got to speak to someone even though it was only about 5 minutes. We were told if he had swallowed more than a tablespoon to immediately take him to the ER. If not, we should watch him to see if he started vomiting and really push the fluids on him. I didn't think he had swallowed much, so we just watched him. He ended up being ok, but it seemed like an eternity trying to find a phone book and then looking up the number. This site is a quick resource where you can have all Poison Control numbers within 30 seconds, or even print out a copy for your reference. I know I am going to be printing out the Emergency Checklist, where I will write our local Poison Control number.

One last thing that is pretty cool about the site: It is free of advertisements and Dr. Belson doesn't profit from it.  It is refreshing to find a site like this, when it seems like you are bombarded by advertisements on any site you visit.

A little bit about Dr. Belson:
"Dr. Martin Belson ("Dr. Marty") is a board certified pediatrician and pediatric emergency physician, board certified medical toxicologist and the former president of the Greater Atlanta Pediatric Society. His most important job is raising his daughters, Brooke and Anna." (taken from kidemergencies.com)

All in all, I am so impressed with this site.  I'm definitely going to bookmark it for future reference!

Click here to visit kid emergencies.