| Chapter
10 Pregnancy, childbirth and infant care - information sources on the internet Overview For many women their first prolonged encounter with the health service starts when they become pregnant. Visits to the antenatal clinic, followed by a (hopefully) short stay in the maternity unit, and then home to care for the new infant are all life-changing events, and ones where the need for accurate and up-to-date information and advice becomes all too apparent. Is an amniocentesis test safe, will painkillers taken during labour harm the baby, and do the benefits of immunisation outweigh the dangers? These are a few of the many questions to which prospective parents want answers. As with the other topics discussed in this book, we repeat the advice that your healthcare professional is the best person to answer these questions. That said, you might wish to find information in advance of a consultation, or do some follow-up research. In such cases the Internet is the obvious source to search. In this chapter we highlight a number of high-quality Internet sources which prospective parents may find useful. With so much information available we have structured this chapter into three key sections - pregnancy, childbirth and infant care. It should be made clear, however, that most of the resources identified here will provide information on all aspects of pregnancy and childcare. The chapter concludes with a look at a number of pregnancy-related interactive tools and services. Key topics covered in this chapter Useful URL's discussed in this chapter |
| Web site | Description | Address |
| National Childbirth Trust |
This site provides prospective parents with a number of high-quality information sheets on a range of topics. |
http://www.nct-online.org |
March of Dimes |
Information on the relative risks of the amniocentesis and CVS prenatal tests. |
http://www.modimes.org |
Kids Health |
An excellent guide to infant care - covering topics such as health of your baby, feeding, and communicating with your baby. |
http://www.kidshealth.org |
Immunisation and Vaccination |
This site aims to provide parents with 'accurate, up-to-date and fully researched information on childhood, pre-school and school (adolescent) immunisations'. In addition to providing clearly written patient guides on all of the core childhood vaccinations, the site also includes a ready reference guide to when these vaccinations should be administered and how. | http://www.immunisation.org.uk |
Birth plans |
Online birth plans - present your wishes to your healthcare team in a non-confrontational way via this comprehensive online birth plan. |
http://www.childbirth.org/interactive/ibirthplan.html |