Pediatrician Approved Apps for Parents
Being a parent in this day and age means that you never leave home without one thing..wet wipes. Ok, scratch that. There are two things you never leave home without: wet wipes and your smart phone. The smart phone is a great tool for scheduling Jenny and Johnny’s multiple play dates and after school activities, send your family across the country the latest updates on their nephew and niece’s latest accomplishments, and of course catch your teenager smiling at a joke her parent said and capturing it with a photo to remind you why you love and would do anything for them while they are asking to borrow the car keys after they ignored your multiple requests for them to take out the trash.
The same way you can use an app on a smartphone to capture and share these moments of accomplishment as your kids grow, there are a number of wonderful apps that I recommend to parents at clinic visits that are great resources to help learn about, monitor, and aid in your child’s health and development. So here are a few of my favorite apps for parents.
The Bump
For the “moms to be” that I meet at our Meet and Greet sessions at Tribeca Pediatrics I regularly recommend the Bump app. This app, which now has great adaptability for the apple watch, lets you follow along week by week to learn about the growth and development of the soon to be newest member of your team. From what size baby is to what is baby doing in there exactly is all included with this very intuitive app. There are also great ways to do slideshows of “bump pictures” that you can share, a wonderful calendar section to help you get ready for baby, and of course access to the articles on theBump.com that have made the site and must visit for any mommy to be.
ChildrensMD
Oh no! Johnny or Jenny has a fever and rash at two in the morning and you are wondering if you should call us at Tribeca Pediatrics, go to Urgent Care, or go to the Emergency Room. First of all you are part of Tribeca Pediatrics and you can call us 24/7 with any health concerns. But, if you want to try to triage your kiddos symptoms at home first then the app that I recommend is called ChildrensMD. The pediatricians and programmers at the Children’s Hospital of Colorado have developed this wonderful app where you can find your child’s symptoms in an alphabetical index, a body area index, or full keyword search. By finding the symptom the app brings up a menu with advice and information on when/who to call dependent on the severity of the symptom and tips for home care for whatever is ailing your child. There is also a section where you can enter your child’s medication and allergies so health professionals can have an instant list of vital information just incase Jenny or Johnny’s symptoms require a treatment or procedure. Did Jenny or Johnny get a little cut on that great fall season hike? Have no fear this app also includes a First Aid section that offers first aid instruction specifically for kiddos. You can even call your child’s pediatrician from the app, or find the nearest emergency room using your phone’s GPS. The doctors at Colorado Children’s really thought of pretty much everything with this app and is a must for every parent.
Vaccines on the Go
It is Jenny or Johnny’s 1st birthday and you know what that means. Did you remember to reserve the traveling petting zoo? Well, it also means that Jenny or Johnny are getting ready for their 1 year well child visit and may have some vaccinations coming up. But which vaccinations are they getting again? What do they protect against? How do they make them? Have no fear the doctors at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) have you covered. Not only is CHOP the country’s oldest and one of the most revered children’s hospital in the world they also make a great app about vaccines. The app is called Vaccines on the Go. I recommend this app to parents for a multitude of reasons but the first is that it is an unbiased and Pharma free app that has everything you would possibly want to know about vaccines. There are schedules for vaccines based on your child’s age, as well as descriptions of each vaccine, and what infections they prevent. There is a section on vaccine safety including information on different vaccine components including preservatives and adjuvants. The app also has over 50 videos regarding information on vaccines and infections from the nation’s top pediatricians and infectious disease specialists. With all this information at your fingertips you will of course have your own questions to ask your child’s pediatrician at their well visit, so the app also has a notes section where you can jot down specific questions to ask your child’s doctor. And because medicine has a whole language of its own there is a glossary explaining every medical term used by the app. And if you think you have you vaccine facts down as well as you know your child’s favorite bedtime story, the app has you covered with 3 different games to test your knowledge on vaccines.
Wizard of Dose
The last app that I recommend to parents is one that was developed here at Tribeca Pediatrics. Now Little Jenny or Johnny has a fever and I forgot how much tylenol I should give them. Have no fear the Wizard of Dose is here. This simple app lets parents know how much Tylenol (acetaminophen), Motrin (ibuprofen), or Benadryl (diphenhydramine) they should give based on their child’s age and weight. This app is used by parents and practitioners country wide to make sure they are not over or under dosing their child’s medicine and due to its simplicity and ease of use it is the only dosage app I recommend to parents.
One Last Smartphone Tip
And of course the last thing I recommend to parents regarding their smart phone and their kiddos doesn’t have anything to do with an app, but it does have a lot to do with a button. The off button. After the pictures have been taken, the schedules have been made, the phone calls have completed, and the email has been sent it’s time to put down the phone (that goes for you teenagers too). It is time to witness your miraculous pride and joy. Take it from your pediatrician who has seen thousands of children grow up. They grow up fast and you are not going to want to miss it or watch it through the lens of a smartphone.