It’s Saturday afternoon and your son has a fever. His pediatrician’s office isn’t open. What do you do?
“It’s easy to turn to the Internet to find out how to take care of your child when a doctor isn’t available,” says Jackie Ferman, marketing director at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. “You might find lots of suggestions, but these might not be very good. They may even make your child feel worse.”
Answers to questions about your child’s health should come from a trusted source, such as the St. Louis Children’s Hospital Kid Care app available for Android devices and iPhones.
A Doctor in the Palm of Your Hand
Using the app is easy. The Symptom Checker lets parents know if a child can be treated at home or if a doctor’s visit, or even a call to 911 or an emergency room visit, is needed. Parents simply select their child’s symptoms and then use guidelines to choose the best treatment option. Kid Care also includes tips for how much medication to give your child and charts that help you keep track of his medications or allergies.
The information is based on expert advice from as many as 10,000 nurse and pediatrician practices. The best part? The help is easy to get on your smartphone, even when you’re away from home.
“Because of Kid Care, parents can get medical help 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” Ferman says. “The app shouldn’t replace your child’s doctor, but it’s a great tool for parents when they’re worried about their children and don’t know what to do.”
Download the Kid Care app for free from Apple’s App Store or the Android Market at play.google.com.
