Internet Tips

The internet provides vast amounts of information, but the quality of the material varies greatly depending on the source. As a great starting point for reliable advice about your child’s health, we encourage you to start with The American Academy of Pediatrics site, aap.org, or their companion site for parents, healthychildren.org.

When reviewing other sites, use the following tips to avoid misinformation, and if you see advice you’re not sure about, contact our office and we can help you.

The source of the information should be clearly visible: if you don’t know and trust the source, move on.
Reliable information about pediatrics comes from studies in medical journals or other forums reviewed by qualified professionals.
Be cautious about studies or recommendations that are not supported by peer review from qualified pediatricians.
Sites should show when they were last updated; make sure you are viewing current content.
Beware of advocacy, crusading, or conspiracy sites that may be run by well-intentioned but misinformed individuals without medical credentials or training.
Information you value should make sense. If something sounds too good to be true or too terrifying to believe, trust your instincts and common sense.
Remember that every time you follow a link and leave one site, you need to verify the reliability of the new site. No single provider can be responsible for the content on another site, and that includes links you may visit from the Northside Pediatrics site.

Your best source of information is your pediatrician, and we’re here to help you. If you have questions about any information gathered from the internet, feel free to discuss it with us.