CHICAGO - In a sea of conflicting and confusing health information, parents have always turned to their family pediatrician as a trusted source of advice. Now, in a virtual extension of the pediatrician's office, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is bringing pediatrician-approved health information to the Internet with today's launch of HealthyChildren.org.

The only Web site backed by 60,000 pediatricians, HealthyChildren.org offers trustworthy, up-to-the-minute health advice and guidance for parents and caregivers, along with interactive tools and personalized content.

"Parents have hundreds of questions about their children's health, and they want detailed answers," said Jennifer Shu, MD, FAAP, a practicing pediatrician and medical editor of HealthyChildren.org. "HealthyChildren.org empowers parents to be proactive about their children's health, whether it's learning about the vaccines their infant needs, the developmental milestones to watch for in their toddler, or how to stay connected with their teenager."

HealthyChildren.org is divided into multiple, user-friendly sections, including:

• Ages & Stages: Information on the health issues of infants through adolescents, including interactive content on developmental milestones.

• Healthy Living: Up-to-date guidance on fitness, sports, oral health, emotional wellness and nutrition.

• Safety & Prevention: Preparing for health scenarios that occur at home, school and on the go, as well as in-depth information on the immunizations children need to stay healthy.

• Health Issues: An exhaustive, A-to-Z list of more than 300 health care topics.

"HealthyChildren.org is more than just an information portal," said Judith S. Palfrey, MD, FAAP, president of the AAP. "It's a valuable tool that parents can use to improve the health of their family."

As the premier Web site for child health information, HealthyChildren.org provides support, resources and a host of features to enable parents to quickly find the critical, relevant information they're looking for. 

The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 60,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults. For more information, visit www.aap.org.