When I found out I was pregnant with my daughter I made a beeline for my local book store where I proceeded to empty my wallet purchasing every parenting guide under $25. I voraciously consumed the stack of parenting advice books penned by so-called experts. Then, I gave birth and everything I read pretty much evaporated into thin air.
Seven years later, I’m still learning how to raise a child. However, these days I rely more on instinct than other people’s opinions and experiences; which is not to say that I’ve stopped reading studies on what makes kids tick. Rather, I’ve simply learned to be a bit more selective with the information I take to heart.
I do so for a number of reasons; mainly to preserve my sanity.
Case in point: My young daughter struggles with snoring.
While she is much better now, it took several exhausting appointments to the pediatrician and subsequent trips to a specialist to get her to a point where she could rest comfortably.
Prior to her diagnosis, I Googled the heck out of “kids and snoring.” And as any parent, who has turned to her PC for medical advice can tell you the Internet can be a dangerous venue for concerned moms and dads. If you weren’t a hypochondriac prior to hitting up the likes of WebMD of Mayo Clinic’s Symptom Checker, then you’ll certainly be part of the fraternity when you are done.
During one of my online searches I came across a study that claimed snoring kids are more apt to suffer from behavioral and emotional problems.
Wonderful.
Just what a worried parent wants to see: “Signs of sleep-disordered breathing in children, ages 6 months to 7 years, predicted a 60% higher risk of behavioral problems, such as hyperactivity, poor conduct, and social problems compared with those who never had symptoms.”
Thanks, Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City.
As if parents don’t have enough to fret about.
In fairness to the study’s authors, they did note that parents shouldn’t be “alarmed;” rather, they should educate themselves on sleep disorders, monitor their kids accordingly, and seek professional medical treatment when necessary.
Of course, most parents, who turn to the Internet for medical advice, are typically trying to avoid professional medical treatment for their children.
We type in our kid’s symptoms with one hand while crossing our fingers with the other.
We’re hoping to get back a litany of results that tell us that everything’s going to be okay and that the spots on our kids’ throats are not a sign of hand, foot and mouth disease, and that their fever, night sweats, headache, swollen belly, fatigue and frequent bruising aren’t signs of acute myelogenous leukemia.
Please, please, pretty please, don’t let it be acute myelogenous leukemia.
How often do you consult with Dr. Google before calling your child’s pediatrician?