RESOURCES

"Go-to" asthma advice in paperbackThe Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Guide to Asthma: How to Help Your Child Live a Healthier Life, edited by The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia asthma experts Julian Lewis Allen, MD, Tyra Bryant-Stephens, MD, and Nicholas A. Pawlowski, MD (written with Sheila Buff and Martha M. Jablow), is a practical, total-care book to help families and children deal with that most common of chronic pediatric illnesses. With an introduction by former United States Surgeon General C. Everett Koop, MD, the book addresses many concerns of living with asthma: managing acute episodes; preparing children for sports participation, sleepovers, and camp; managing disease in toddlers; eliminating triggers from the home; and working with schools and day care to prevent a child's flare-ups. Readable and highly informative, the book includes a resource section reviewing asthma medications, a guide to national and community asthma services, and a list of famous people in politics, the arts, and athletics who live with asthma. The guide was published this year by John Wiley and Sons, and is available at bookstores and from online booksellers. Find out more about it at http://www.chop.edu/ .

For physicians seeking empathy: Beyond the book to a Web site Cardiologist Steven H. Farber, MD, has followed his practical and supportive book, Behind the White Coat: Intimate Reflections on Being a Doctor in Today's World (2002, published by Steven H. Farber, 103 Wind Ridge Circle, The Woodlands, TX 77381) with a new Web site that helps health-care professionals vent safely and anonymously and hear supportive advice from other professionals. Log on to http://www.behindthewhitecoat.com/ and link through to "The Physicians' Forum Bulletin Board" to discuss any concern-from personal stress to business-related matters. You may find reassurance in knowing that others have struggled with the same troubles and are willing to listen and respond.

Two ways to promote health and fitness in childrenFit Kids: A Practical Guide to Raising Active and Healthy Children-from Birth to Teens (2004, DK Publishing, Inc.) by Mary L. Gavin, MD, Steven A. Dowshen, MD, and Neil Izenberg, MD, explores ways of incorporating healthy eating and active living into a child's daily routine. In the hope of solving the obesity epidemic "one child at a time" (so declares Dr. Sandra G. Hassink of the Alfred I. DuPont Hospital for Children in the foreword), Fit Kids colorfully and invitingly includes tables about nutrition, exercise programs, age-appropriate eating schedules, examples of healthy recipes and menus, tempting cooking projects for children, and a generally can-do atmosphere of wise and cheerful living. Appealing and informative, this book could mark the beginning of sound choices by parents and children. Fit Kids is available in bookstores nationwide, from online booksellers, and at http://www.KidsHealth.org/, an award-winning and easily navigable Web site containing well-presented information on children's health, behavior and development, parenting, and teen health issues. The Web site is a good place for children to discover how to deal with their feelings about cheating, school violence, bullying, disliking school-and approximately 70 other concerns.

Eating and body image, in words and pictures Shapesville, by Andy Mills and Becky Osborn and illustrated by Erica Neitz, is a children's picture book to inspire youngsters to accept themselves- be they obese or thin. Published by Gurze Books in late 2003, Shapesville targets children ages 3 to 8 years. It can be purchased at bookstores or online booksellers; approximate cost, $8. Since 1980, Gurze has published many books for adults and youngsters about eating disorders and their recognition and treatment. For information, visit http://www.bulimia.com/.

And consider these . . .An interactive Web site sponsored by SafeTek Lice Removal Kits, http://www.safetek4lice.com advises consumers on head lice prevention and detection while dispelling myths about nits. Also mentioned on the Web site is a free booklet, There's a Louse in My House, which can be ordered while the company's supply lasts.

Kids Helping Kids Break the Silence of Sexual Abuse by Linda Lee Foltz, Lighthouse Point Press, is a compilation of 15 stories by children of their own experiences with child abuse. Advice on dealing with the problem is offered to parents by experts. Proceeds are donated to centers that assist child victims of abuse. The book is available in hardcover and paperback through online booksellers or http://www.kidshelpkids.net .

ParentMagic, Inc., a new company headed by Thomas W. Phelan, PhD, has introduced a Web site where parents and teachers can find advice on avoiding discipline problems in, respectively, home and classroom. Seminars and parenting programs may be ordered through http://www.parentmagic.com .

Cincinnati Children's Hospital and Medical Center offers a free interactive CD-ROM with CME credit-Pediatric Cardiology for the Primary Care Physician. Topics include: heart murmurs, chest pain, dizziness and syncope, hypertension, Kawasaki disease, and the newborn with suspected cardiac disease. For a copy, call 513-636-1981 or send an e-mail message to sarah.wilson@cchmc.org
with your name and address.

For information on HIPAA compliant IT solutions and how an EMR product includes referral-management in its automated work flow program, visit http://www.omnimd.com .

Two videos (available in VHS and DVD format) help parents talk about sex with their child: Just Between Us: A Chat about Puberty for Mothers and Daughters ($24.95, 30 minutes) is based on Dr. Chrystal de Freitas's popular mother-daughter seminars for girls age 9 to 11 years. The Birds and the Bees with Ease ($19.95) is designed to be viewed by parents only. It offers age-appropriate information for discussion. For details on the two programs, visit http://www.healthychats.com .

Prevent Blindness America offers a free brochure, Amblyopia, Strabismus, and Your Child's Sight in English and Spanish to promote their position that as many as one of every four schoolchildren has some form of vision impairment. For information visit http://www.preventblindness.org .